In October 2026, the number of attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters reached a record level since the beginning of the armed conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran. According to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 113 confirmed and preliminarily registered incidents have been recorded since February 28, of which 28 occurred in October alone.
Experts at the institute note that October has been the most tense month of the entire conflict. Attacks have been recorded both in the Strait of Hormuz itself — a key route for the transportation of oil and liquefied natural gas — and in the adjacent waters of the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. Most incidents involve the use of drones, missiles, and anti-ship weapons, as well as attempts to seize or damage vessels.
The increase in attacks has coincided with the escalation of hostilities and the tightening of measures by the United States and its allies to protect shipping. At the same time, according to analysts, a significant portion of the incidents remain either unconfirmed or only preliminarily registered, making it difficult to accurately assess the scale of the threat.
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy has been tracking such incidents since the start of the conflict and regularly publishes summaries. The October figures are the highest for the entire period of observation.
