Strait Out of Control as Attacks on Ships Surge

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, October 18, 2026

Attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters have sharply increased this October, surpassing the total incidents recorded in March and including new methods such as rocket-propelled grenade strikes. This surge highlights escalating regional tensions and risks to global oil transport, especially as many attacks occurred near Oman along an alternative route used to avoid Iranian threats.

Attacks on ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz have surged to unprecedented levels this month, exceeding the total recorded during the entire month of March amid heightened tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran, according to maritime data. The escalation has prompted warnings from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which declared on Saturday that the strait was "closed" following a series of recent assaults on vessels.

The IRGC reiterated that it maintains full control and intelligence surveillance over the area east of the Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Oman. Among the reported incidents was a tanker struck by a rocket-propelled grenade fired from a small boat, marking a new type of attack not previously documented in the current wave of strikes, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

One supertanker carrying over 2 million barrels of crude oil caught fire on Saturday after reportedly hitting a mine while navigating what the IRGC described as an “unauthorized” route. The U.S. Central Command stated that vessels in the region had been hit by projectiles but said it had conducted mine-clearing operations in the strait.

Iran’s navy also reported a separate incident in the Gulf of Oman involving an oil tanker catching fire and becoming immobilized. UKMTO confirmed that two additional tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz were attacked the previous day.

In the week ending Friday, UKMTO recorded 12 attacks on ships, marking the highest number of weekly strikes since the conflict involving Iran commenced on February 28. Of these, ten attacks took place in the Strait of Hormuz, one occurred in the Persian Gulf, and one in the Gulf of Oman. Eight of the targeted vessels were oil tankers, with the remainder being container ships.

The reported consequences of the attacks include one sunken ship, damage to nine others, and injuries to three crew members. Additionally, two individuals were reported missing after a drone strike hit a Nicaragua-flagged vessel on Thursday. Notably, six separate attacks were recorded on October 11 alone.

UKMTO noted that the actual number of incidents is likely higher, as many vessels reportedly declined to report attacks. Of particular concern is that most of the recent assaults took place near the coast of Oman rather than Iran, along an alternate route that the United States has increasingly relied upon to circumvent Iranian threats in the region.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.