October's 35 attacks make it the worst month for ships in the Gulf and Hormuz

The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) recorded at least 35 attacks on ships in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz in October. That makes October the worst month for shipping in the region since the United States and Israel went to war with the Islamic Republic on 28 February 2026. March comes second, with about 30 attacks.

Since the war began, the centre has recorded at least 144 attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Aden and the Sea of Oman. Noam Raydan, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, counted 34 attacks on tankers in the waters south of Iran in October in a separate tally.

Attacks on Qatari ships during mediation

The latest case on Raydan's list was the 30 October attack on the liquefied gas carrier Al Mayeda, owned by the Qatari company Nakilat, on the same day a Qatari delegation was in Tehran to mediate between the United States and the Islamic Republic. On 5 October, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly also targeted the Qatari ship Maran Gas Mystras. On Friday night, a ship south of Lavan Island was hit by an unidentified projectile and caught fire.

Traffic and oil prices

Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is about 70 percent below pre-war levels; part of the drop is due to the halt in Iran's oil exports and disruption to its non-oil trade. UKMTO recorded 277 inbound and outbound transits in the week ending 28 October, 36 more than the week before.

Brent crude rose to $118 on Friday before settling at $113, still 58 percent higher than before the war. Higher tanker freight and insurance costs and concern over a new round of US strikes after the congressional elections are feeding into the price.

With at least 35 attacks, October was the most eventful month for Gulf shipping since the war began.