Hormuz ship attack reports reach weekly high as oil flows slow
BBC Verify counted 12 vessels attacked in one week near the Strait of Hormuz, while its shipping data showed oil flows below their September level. Separate reports describe further vessel losses.
BBC Verify counted 12 vessels attacked near the Strait of Hormuz between 5 and 11 October, the highest weekly total in its analysis of UK Maritime Trade Operations reports since the US-Israeli war with Iran began. It also reported that oil shipments through the waterway had slowed, underscoring the risks facing crews and a major route for crude exports.
The previous week had 10 reported attacks. Six vessels were reported attacked on 11 October alone, the highest single-day tally in the BBC's analysis, and four attacks had been reported so far in the following week. The BBC said some UKMTO entries use the date of an attack and others the date it was reported, making the precise sequence approximate.
Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz
About 12.6 million barrels of oil a day passed through the strait on 13 October, down from 15 million at the end of September and about 17 million before the war, BBC Verify reported, citing data from Kpler. The figures do not establish how much of the decline the attacks caused.
The disruption has also shifted trade beyond the Gulf. The South China Morning Post reported that Brazilian crude sales to China rose 49% to US$21.8 billion in the first nine months of 2026, citing a Brazil-China Business Council analysis of government data. China bought half of Brazil's crude exports during that period, according to the report, which linked the surge to disrupted Gulf supply.
Crews affected by attacks near Oman
BBC Verify reported that 11 Indian seafarers were rescued after the tanker Petro Dolphin was struck near Sohar Anchorage in Oman. Two remained missing, according to the Forward Seamen's Union of India, which the BBC cited.
The container ship GFS Pride also sank, with all 21 crew rescued or evacuated, according to BBC Verify and Euronews Persian. Their accounts differ on when it sank. Euronews said Iran's Revolutionary Guard attributed the incident to a sea mine, while maritime sources cited an unidentified projectile. The cause remains disputed.
Euronews also reported that the cargo ship Cape Dao sank after an earlier projectile strike, in which one crew member was killed. On 15 October, an unnamed tanker caught fire in the Gulf of Oman after entering an area Iran's navy called prohibited with its tracking systems disabled, Euronews reported, citing Iranian state media. The tanker's identity, crew condition and the cause of the fire were not immediately known.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard declared waters leading to Hormuz a prohibited zone in September, Euronews reported. Its naval commander, Ali Azmayi, said vessels seeking to cross the strait must obtain permission.
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Sources and context
- Ship attack reports near Hormuz reach record high as oil exports slowBBC Verify
- China bought half of Brazil’s oil exports as Iran war drove sales to recordSouth China Morning Post
- Another tanker ablaze near Hormuz after two ships sunk in attacksEuronews Persian
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.