Iran Escalates Maritime Attacks in Strait of Hormuz
Iran has intensified attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, sinking multiple ships and sparking a surge in global shipping costs and regional violence.
Maritime violence in the Strait of Hormuz has reached its highest daily level since February 2026, with at least 26 vessels struck in October alone. The Government of Iran has utilized missiles, drones, and undersea mines to target merchant shipping, resulting in the sinking of the Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride on October 14 and the bulk carrier Cape Dao in September. Recent incidents include the disabling of an oil tanker in the Sea of Oman on October 15 and hull damage to the GFS Giselle. These attacks have caused marine war risk premiums to spike and shipping costs to rise from $3 to over $30 per barrel.
In response, the United States has enforced a naval blockade of Iranian ports and conducted targeted strikes. On October 6, U.S. Marine Corps Apache helicopters destroyed an Iranian-affiliated dhow in the Gulf of Oman used for surveillance. The U.S. Navy also struck the MT Settebello for violating the blockade. To date, over 100 attacks in the region have left at least 25 seafarers dead and four missing.
Beyond the waterway, Iranian-backed Houthi militants have intensified strikes against Saudi Arabia, hitting a Saudi Aramco administrative building in Dhahran and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, where 13 people were killed. While Rear Admiral Ali Ozmaei claimed Iran is "counting the moments" to sink American warships, President Donald Trump stated U.S. forces would not attack Iran before the November 3 midterm elections.
