Iran has begun using new tactics against vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, two senior officials from the country said. According to them, Tehran seeks to maintain high global oil prices and influence the U.S. midterm elections. This was reported by The Japan Times, which published a Reuters report.
The sources did not disclose details of the new strategy. One of them said that about ten days ago, Iran began acting differently against ships it considers violators of restrictions it has imposed. According to the officials, the nature and pace of the attacks have changed, and the decision was made at the highest level of Iran’s leadership.
Incidents in the strait area
Before the war began, about one-fifth of global trade in oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz. After U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, Tehran sought to establish control over the waterway by restricting shipping. Threats and attacks significantly reduced traffic through the strait and contributed to rising oil prices, although some cargoes continued to transit this route.
According to an analysis of maritime security sources and reports by the British organization United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, at least five incidents involving tankers and other commercial vessels, including the use of drones, occurred in the Strait of Hormuz area over the past 48 hours. According to the International Maritime Organization, this figure roughly matched the pace of attacks on October 3–5 and indicated a new escalation.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Observers and expansion of operations
A U.S. military official speaking on condition of anonymity described one of the changes in Iran’s tactics. According to him, after the United States destroyed a significant part of Iran’s radar capabilities, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps began using unarmed observers in small boats to identify potential targets, including U.S. Navy ships.
The official also said that last week the U.S. military detected Iranian observers aboard a dhow who allegedly transmitted target data to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. U.S. forces ordered the people to leave the vessel and then destroyed it. According to him, there were no casualties.
Iranian officials also stated their intention to expand the area of operations beyond the Strait of Hormuz, to the Gulf of Oman and other waters. Maritime security sources indicate that vessels have also become targets near Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in recent days. At the same time, in its latest assessment, the U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center called the threat to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz “serious” — the second-highest level.
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