Iran Links Sirik Attack to Bahrain Radar Strike as Brent Rises 3.3%
Key Facts
In a statement carried by Iranian media on the evening of 12 November, Iran's Revolutionary Guard linked the targeting of a U.S. early-warning radar in Bahrain to an airstrike it said hit a communications tower in Sirik, in Iran's southern Hormozgan province. Reuters quoted those outlets as saying the strike on the radar was in response to what the Guard described as the attack on the tower. The Iranian account did not name who carried out the attack in Sirik and gave no details of damage or casualties. The United States and Bahrain made no immediate comment on the announcement that the radar had been targeted, Reuters reported. The agency published its report on the announcement on the evening of 12 November, then updated it shortly after midnight on 13 November.
The announcement, Reuters described, was the first claim of its kind involving an attack on U.S. military assets in a Gulf state since early September. That places the Sirik account at the center of a regional security escalation, after the Revolutionary Guard presented the radar attack as a response to a strike inside Iran. But the link appeared in statements by the Guard carried by Iranian media, and Washington and Manama made no immediate comment. Sirik is in the coastal province of Hormozgan, while security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz remains a focus of regional tensions. Separate reports of incidents involving ships do not establish a connection with the announced attack in Sirik.
Concerns about disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz were reflected in the oil market on 12 November, with Brent crude settling up 3.3% at $95.82 a barrel. The gains came amid concern that security risks could affect tanker traffic through the passage. By contrast, Reuters reported on 13 November that Brent was on track for a weekly decline of 2.4%, after falling 16% the previous week. The agency said the continued U.S. blockade had reduced the likelihood of renewed full-scale fighting, while shipping risks remained. The price movement reflects the contrast between the impact of security concerns in Thursday's session and oil's subsequent weekly trend.
Against the backdrop of maritime risks, data from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy showed that 37 ships were attacked in October, the highest monthly tally since the war began in February, Reuters reported. That count places shipping incidents in the broader context of threats facing vessels in the region. A UBS analyst said oil prices were supported by fading hopes for an imminent de-escalation. Any increase in flows through the strait, even if a deal were reached, would depend on mine clearance, insurance costs and shipowners' willingness to take on the risks, according to LSEG, as cited by Reuters. The passage's security and the costs of using it remain factors in assessing future shipping flows.
Oil-flow data offer a parallel picture of the security risks: the Associated Press said oil shipments leaving the Strait of Hormuz had returned to levels close to those before the war. The agency added that international tankers currently rely on U.S. Navy escorts to move oil out. In a separate incident on Tuesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker was struck by a projectile in the Arabian Gulf, and several people were taken ashore for medical assistance. These maritime incidents remain separate from the announced attack in Sirik, which the Revolutionary Guard later linked to the radar strike in Bahrain. The impact of continued risks on flows will also depend on mine clearance, insurance and shipowners' willingness to take risks.