Two More Ship Strikes Reported in the Strait of Hormuz
On Tuesday, strikes on merchant shipping in the Strait of Hormuz continued with two reported attacks, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations.
UKMTO reported an attack on a tanker and another strike on a container ship in the strait on Tuesday, both to the north of the Musandam Peninsula. Both involved an "unknown projectile." UKMTO did not provide times, vessel names, damage, crew status or salvage details.
Six attacks were reported Sunday - the most damage yet recorded in one day since the start of the conflict. None were reported on Monday.
All stakeholders have been tight-lipped about tactics in the Strait of Hormuz standoff, but two Iranian officials told Reuters on Tuesday that their approach has changed, resulting in an increased hit rate in attacks on merchant shipping. Both the method of the attack and the pace of the operation have been changed, they told the news service, without providing exact details.
The officials explicitly stated that the goal of the operation was to impede U.S.-sponsored oil exports through the strait, keeping global oil prices high and putting economic pressure on American voters ahead of the U.S. midterm election. They said that the strategy has support at the highest levels of Iranian leadership.
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Some of the vessels struck in recent attacks have suffered serious fires or disabling damage, indicating heavier hits than previously seen with UAV strikes. The nonpartisan Institute for the Study of War assesses that Iran may be "developing its anti-ship missile capabilities to improve its ability to target vessels." Drawing on recent Iranian state media statements, ISW infers that Iran may have developed an antiship variant of its inexpensive and plentiful Kheibar Shekan ballistic missile, then used it in an attempt to target American naval forces on September 5.
Previously, Iran's WANA news agency described the munition used in the September 5 attack as a Qasem Basir ballistic missile, a different model claimed to have a thermal imaging sensor for target tracking.
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