Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Yemen's Houthi movement have widened and intensified attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea since late September 2026. A Singapore-flagged container ship sank near Hormuz on October 14 and tanker operators are rerouting, as both sides blame each other for disrupting a route that carries roughly a fifth of the world's oil and gas trade.
Attacks on commercial ships in the waters around the Arabian Peninsula have surged since late September 2026. On October 14, maritime security sources said the Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride sank near the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile, according to Reuters reporting carried by Arab News. A separate vessel, the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier Cape Dao, struck on September 23, was also reported to be sinking near the strait.
The International Maritime Organization's data cited in that report describes the GFS Pride as the second vessel to sink since the US-Iran war began on February 28, 2026. Both ships were managed by UAE-based companies, according to Arab News; no casualties were reported in either incident.
Iran's new approach in the Strait of Hormuz
Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters, in reporting carried by Yahoo News, that Iran has changed the type and pace of its operations against shipping. Tehran has expanded strikes beyond the strait itself into the Gulf of Oman and waters off Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and is using unarmed spotters on small boats and dhows to identify targets after the United States destroyed Iranian radar capability, the officials said.
One official said the goal was to stop the United States and its allies from bringing down global oil prices, while a second official said Iran was moving toward fully closing the strait to vessels that do not comply with its demands, according to the Yahoo-carried Reuters account. The same report put the cost of the conflict to Iran at roughly $3 billion a month and noted the timing overlaps with November's US midterm elections.
The National, an Abu Dhabi-based outlet, reported that at least 12 tankers were attacked in the week of September 28 to October 5, 2026, with the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency recording six vessel strikes in a single day, including oil, LNG and LPG carriers and a container ship. A drone strike also hit a vessel near Oman's Sohar anchorage, and a separate attack roughly 95 kilometers north of Madinat Ash Shamal in Qatar caused casualties, The National reported.
Tankers divert, costs rise
Bloomberg reporting, carried by gCaptain, found that at least 10 very large crude carriers (VLCCs) and several Suezmax tankers heading toward the port of Fujairah in the UAE stopped or reversed course in recent days. Fujairah functions as a staging point where large empty tankers wait to receive crude transferred ship-to-ship from smaller shuttle vessels that make the riskier run through Hormuz; a pullback by VLCCs risks slowing that whole chain, according to the report.
Insurance Journal reported that four tankers were struck by unidentified projectiles on October 11 alone — roughly double the previous week's daily average — and that crude oil in London exceeded $106 a barrel after the latest escalation before easing slightly the next day. Middle Eastern oil exports had recovered to about 80% of pre-conflict volumes before that latest round of attacks, according to an estimate from Shell's chief executive cited by the outlet. Ahmed Ali Alsubaey, chief executive of Saudi carrier Bahri, told Insurance Journal the industry intends to keep operating despite the risk.
Iran and the US dispute who controls the strait
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for strikes on vessels it accuses of violating its rules, The National reported. IRGC adviser Mohammadreza Naqdi said the strait was closed and that Iran's armed forces had full control over it, while IRGC Chief of Staff Habibollah Sayyari warned that Iran would strike again if attacked further.
The Strait of Hormuz is open. There's almost as much oil flowing out now as there was before this conflict began.
— US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, quoted by The National
Houthi forces widen the Red Sea campaign
In parallel, Yemen's Houthi movement has stepped up strikes on Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea. Al Jazeera reported that the Houthis said they struck the Saudi oil tanker Amzan, operated by Saudi national carrier Bahri, with a ballistic missile on August 24, 2026, causing a fire; Bahri said all crew members were safe and uninjured.
Al Jazeera's reporting said the Houthis had declared a blockade on Saudi-linked vessels and were targeting shipments through Yanbu, Saudi Arabia's main Red Sea oil port, describing the move as an alternative front to Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis described the campaign as enforcement of a ban on Saudi maritime navigation.
Why it matters for global trade
The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade, according to the Yahoo-carried Reuters report. Combined disruption in Hormuz and the Red Sea raises shipping and insurance risk on two of the world's busiest energy corridors at the same time, forcing operators to weigh longer, costlier routes against continued transit through contested waters.
Key incidents reported since late September 2026
Date
Location
Vessel/Event
Source
Sep 23, 2026
Near Strait of Hormuz
Cape Dao (bulk carrier) hit by projectile, later reported sinking
Arab News/Reuters
Aug 24, 2026
Red Sea, near Bab al-Mandab
Saudi tanker Amzan hit by Houthi missile, fire reported
Al Jazeera
Sep 28–Oct 5, 2026
Strait of Hormuz and approaches
At least 12 tankers attacked in one week; 6 vessels hit in a single day
The National/UKMTO
Oct 11, 2026
Strait of Hormuz chokepoint
4 tankers hit by unidentified projectiles, about double the previous week's daily average
Insurance Journal/UKMTO
Oct 11–13, 2026
Approaches to Fujairah, UAE
At least 10 VLCCs and several Suezmax tankers reverse course or stop
Bloomberg via gCaptain
Oct 14, 2026
Near Strait of Hormuz
Container ship GFS Pride sinks after projectile strike
Arab News/Reuters
Questions
Why are Iran and the Houthis attacking ships now?
Iranian officials told Reuters the goal is to keep global oil prices high and pressure the United States ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections, while Houthi forces say their Red Sea campaign targets Saudi-linked shipping to force an end to Saudi support for Yemen's government, according to Al Jazeera.
Is the Strait of Hormuz actually closed?
Iranian officials have said they intend full closure to non-compliant vessels, but US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the strait remains open with oil flows close to pre-war levels, according to The National.
How many ships have sunk since the attacks escalated?
The container ship GFS Pride, which sank on October 14, 2026, is the second vessel to sink since the US-Iran war began on February 28, 2026, according to International Maritime Organization data cited by Reuters.
How is the shipping industry responding?
Tanker operators have rerouted; Bloomberg data cited by gCaptain found at least 10 VLCCs and several Suezmax tankers reversed course near the Fujairah transfer hub, while Bahri's chief executive told Insurance Journal the industry intends to keep operating despite the risk.
What routes besides Hormuz are affected?
The Houthi movement has expanded strikes into the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, targeting Saudi-linked vessels and the port of Yanbu, according to Al Jazeera, meaning both of the region's major maritime chokepoints face disruption simultaneously.
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