Strait of Hormuz attacks hit weekly high as oil flows fall

Twelve vessels were attacked in and around the Strait of Hormuz between 5 and 11 October, the largest weekly number reported since the US-Israeli war with Iran began. The figure comes from a BBC Verify analysis of data from UK Maritime Trade Operations, the British body that logs reports from commercial ships BBC.

Six vessels were struck on Sunday, a one-day high for reported attacks, according to UKMTO. Ten ships had reported attacks in the week before the 5-11 October period. Four attacks had been reported so far in the current week at the time of reporting.

Oil flows through the strait have fallen as attacks increased. About 12.6 million barrels per day passed through on 13 October, down from 15 million barrels per day at the end of September, according to data from Kpler. The pre-war baseline was about 17 million barrels per day.

The strait is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which a large share of seaborne oil moves. The container ship GFS Pride sank after being struck by an unknown projectile in the strait on Tuesday, with 21 crew safely evacuated.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the GFS Pride was carrying "2,500 containers of contraband" and had taken an "unauthorised route". The cause of the strike on the ship has not been established in the verified reports.

A separate attack took place well beyond the strait. The Nicaragua-flagged tanker Petro Dolphin was struck by a drone close to Sohar Anchorage, Oman, more than 250km from the Strait of Hormuz, according to Vanguard. Eleven Indian seafarers from the Petro Dolphin were rescued but two remain missing, according to the Forward Seamen's Union of India.

US Navy data indicated the number of vessels given assistance to navigate the strait in the first 10 days of October was up 85% compared with the same period in August.