Record Week of Maritime Assaults Threatens Global Energy Flow Through Hormuz

London, 18 Oct – The Hormuz Strait, a vital conduit for world oil shipments, experienced a record number of attacks over a single week. United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations confirmed that two vessels were hit on Sunday near Yemen and the United Arab Emirates.

The previous day, Iran’s security forces reported that three ships were set ablaze, with two caught in the cramped maritime tunnels that run beneath the strait. UKMTO data shows that between 8 and 14 October, about 14 vessels were damaged – the highest weekly tally since the U.S.–Israel offensive against Iran began.

On 11 October, six vessels were targeted in one coordinated strike, bringing the total number of maritime incidents filed since 1 March to 149. Meanwhile, the number of ships navigating the strait dropped to just 42 in the latest week, a steep decline from 60 the week earlier.

Because most of the traffic carries crude oil and petroleum products, the dip in passages could pressure global energy supplies, push up shipping costs and destabilise markets, especially as the U.S. central command reports that more than 138 ships have been rerouted following renewed blockade measures.