New Attacks on Two Oil Tankers in the Gulf and High Alert in Strait of Hormuz

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced that an oil tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 11 nautical miles west of the Omani town of Bukha at 01:45 UTC on October 21. A fire broke out onboard the vessel and was extinguished, and the tanker is now at anchor, with all crew members reported safe and no environmental damage recorded.

In a separate incident, the master of another tanker reported it was hit by an unknown projectile 30 nautical miles southeast of Iraq's Al-Faw at 18:30 UTC on October 20, with UKMTO receiving the report after the event. Reports indicated that the crew was safe and no damage to the ship or environmental impact was recorded; the identities of the two tankers were not specified, and UKMTO did not attribute responsibility for either attack to any entity.

The two incidents come amid a sharp escalation in attacks on commercial shipping, as the Joint Maritime Information Center maintained the threat level assessment in the Strait of Hormuz at "Severe" in its warning issued on October 18, warning that intentional attacks remain likely. UKMTO recorded 12 attacks on commercial vessels in the week ending October 16, including 10 in the Strait of Hormuz, one in the Arabian Gulf, and another in the Gulf of Oman, while the center counted 153 confirmed maritime security incidents in the region since March 1.

The scope of attacks expanded beyond main shipping lanes, as two tankers were targeted on October 16 near Jubail, Saudi Arabia, one of them by a rocket-propelled projectile from a small boat, while a tugboat was hit on October 18 by two projectiles about 20 nautical miles northeast of Khor Fakkan, UAE, and sailed on following damage and a minor injury. The center raised the threat level in the wider Arabian Gulf to "Substantial," warning stationary vessels broadcasting Automatic Identification System signals of higher targeting risks, with around 217 anchored ships near Fujairah and Khor Fakkan and another 166 between Dubai, Jebel Ali, and Ras Al Khaimah, and in a related context, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed on October 17 that two supertankers were struck by mines in the strait, but the center stated that these claims are unsupported by evidence, noting that the two recent warnings speak of unknown projectiles rather than confirmed mine explosions.

What Do These Terms Mean?

Strait of Hormuz: A narrow waterway connecting the Arabian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, through which a significant portion of global oil exports passes.

Two Oil Tankers: Two ships designed for transporting crude oil or petroleum products in large quantities between ports.

Threat Level: A security classification issued by a maritime center to describe the likelihood of vessels coming under attack, ranging from low to severe.

Automatic Identification System: A device onboard a ship that automatically broadcasts its data and location to assist navigation and maritime monitoring.