Gulf Tankers Face Record Month of Strikes as Missile Targets Saudi Coast
Two supertankers hit by mines and a projectile struck another ship off Oman, marking the worst month for maritime security since 2017.
By Ayanda Boateng ·
Maritime security in the Persian Gulf reached its most volatile point this month, with data showing October as the worst period for attacks on commercial shipping since records began in 2017. The spike in incidents coincides with renewed air strikes and escalating verbal threats between Washington and Tehran.
The Saudi-led coalition forces reported intercepting and destroying one ballistic missile and one drone aimed at Saudi territory on 24 October. The Directorate of Civil Defence issued warnings to residents in Riyadh, Najran, and Wadi al-Dawasir before declaring the danger had passed in those locations. At sea, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed two supertankers struck naval mines while attempting to transit an unauthorized route south of the Strait of Hormuz.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations logged an additional incident when a tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile seven nautical miles off the Omani coast. These events contributed to the record-breaking monthly tally tracked by a Washington-based think tank, which monitors global maritime security incidents.
Political rhetoric intensified alongside the physical strikes. US President Donald Trump suggested a further military operation against Iran during a rally in Florida. In response, Major General Abdollahi, Iran's armed forces chief of staff, stated that the country would not allow "rusting US warships to re-enter the Persian Gulf." Mohammed Mokhber, an adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, described the war threats from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as evidence of desperation.
Diplomatic efforts continue in parallel with the conflict. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to travel to Moscow next week for meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He will attend the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit on 27 October. In London, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said Britain is increasing its work to find diplomatic solutions, citing the impact of the conflict on British household bills.
Regional tensions extended to the West Bank, where Israeli forces ordered Palestinian residents of Hebron to leave their homes on foot. Troops demolished buildings near the site where two Israeli soldiers were killed and detained dozens of people during raids. In Syria, protests erupted on Friday against recent Israeli incursions in the south, following an earlier strike that killed a man with a disability.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan indicated that a move to reunify Libya's rival eastern and western administrations is imminent. In Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu warned of potential international banking sanctions and suggested cryptocurrency could serve as a workaround. His remarks came four days before the Knesset election.
