Tanker attacks in Strait of Hormuz surge to wartime high

Key Points:

• Oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz are being attacked almost daily as Iran intensifies efforts to disrupt crude exports, with 11 tankers attacked in the week ending Oct. 4, the highest number since the war began in late February.
• Recent attacks have injured sailors, including 12 Indian nationals aboard the UAE-owned tanker On Peace, and have led to at least 24 sailor deaths since the conflict started, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
• Iran's Revolutionary Guard has vowed to block all "illicit routes" through Hormuz and pursue ships violating its transit rules across the Persian Gulf region, escalating tensions beyond the strait itself.
• Despite U.S. military escorts helping crude exports return to prewar levels in September, shipments have recently declined by about 40% through Hormuz due to increased attacks, with exports standing at 8.5 million barrels per day for the week ended Wednesday.
• The U.S. Central Command has refuted Iranian claims that the Strait of Hormuz is closed, reporting 20 million barrels of crude have transited the waterway recently, while warning shippers about the heightened maritime risks in the area.