Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed attacks on 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz, as vessel traffic through the key maritime corridor remains below recent averages.
Reuters reported on 9 September that the IRGC said it had targeted two US vessels and eight oil tankers attempting to cross what Iran described as a prohibited and unsafe area of the strait.
The claims follow a series of attacks involving US and Iranian maritime assets. According to Reuters, the US military said it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on 8 September.
US Central Command said the strikes were carried out in response to the IRGC targeting a US Navy warship twice with ballistic missiles over the previous two days. The US said no American personnel were harmed.
Reuters also reported that Iran had threatened oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports, citing a statement carried by Iranian state media.
Separately, a maritime security source told Reuters that a liquefied natural gas tanker had been damaged at the Port of Khor Fakkan in the UAE. Responsibility for that incident was unclear.
READ: Hormuz transits fall 52 per cent amid rising tanker risk
The escalation comes as commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains significantly restricted.
Preliminary Kpler ship-tracking data cited separately by Reuters showed that six commodity vessels transited the strait on 8 September, down from nine a day earlier and below a 10-day average of approximately 12 vessels.
Five of the vessels were travelling into the strait, and one was outbound.
Reuters noted that the figures could subsequently be revised because some ships switch off their transponders.
Traffic through the waterway had already fallen sharply in recent days. Kpler data previously cited by Reuters showed the 10-day moving average falling to its lowest level since May following attacks on tankers in the region.
The latest escalation has also affected energy markets, with Brent crude rising to around $100 per barrel on 9 September amid concerns over disruption to tanker movements through the strait.
The Strait of Hormuz has faced sustained disruption during the conflict, with carriers and maritime organisations repeatedly adjusting operations and issuing security guidance for vessels operating in the region.
