October sets record for shipping attacks in Gulf waters
A Washington-based think tank reports the highest number of commercial vessel incidents since tracking began in 2017.
By Tyler Khalil ·
October has become the deadliest month on record for commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters. A Washington-based think tank that has tracked maritime security incidents globally since 2017 confirmed that the current month holds the highest tally of attacks.
New incidents emerged at sea on 24 October. The navy of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that two supertankers struck naval mines while attempting to use an unauthorised route south of the strait. Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that another tanker was hit by an unknown projectile seven nautical miles off the Omani coast.
Tensions also flared in the air. Forces of the Saudi-led coalition intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and a drone fired towards Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Directorate of Civil Defence warned residents of potential danger before announcing that the threat had passed in Riyadh, Najran, and Wadi al-Dawasir.
Political rhetoric intensified in response to the military actions. US President Donald Trump told a rally in Florida that Washington might launch another military operation against Iran. In reply, Major General Abdollahi, the chief of staff for Iran's armed forces, said under no circumstances would they allow rusting US warships to re-enter the Persian Gulf.
Mohammed Mokhber, an adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, added that threats of war and psychological warfare from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu betray desperation rather than power. Diplomatic efforts continued as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian prepared to travel to Moscow. He is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and attend the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit on 27 October.
In London, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stated that Britain is redoubling its efforts to find diplomatic solutions. He noted that the conflict is driving up bills for families in Britain. In Israel, Netanyahu warned that the country should prepare for international banking sanctions and suggested cryptocurrency could help circumvent them. His comments came four days before the Knesset election.
Ground operations continued in the region. Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank ordered Palestinian residents of Hebron to leave their homes on foot and demolished several buildings near the site where two Israeli soldiers were shot dead. Troops detained dozens of people during raids. In Syria, protest rallies occurred against repeated Israeli incursions in the country's south, following an earlier strike that killed a man with a disability.
