Attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz continued on Tuesday, with two attacks reported on an oil tanker and a container ship in the area. These attacks were specifically carried out in the northern Musandam Peninsula and reportedly involved an "unknown projectile." Details regarding the timing, names of the ships, damages, or the status of the crews have not been disclosed by the relevant authorities.
Increase in Attacks and Tactical Changes
Last Sunday, six attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz were reported, marking the highest level of damage in a single day since the onset of these conflicts. However, no attacks were reported on Monday. Iranian officials have informally stated that their approach to these attacks has changed, resulting in an increased success rate in attacks on commercial ships. They also noted that the methods and speed of operations have changed, although no specific details of these changes have been provided.
Read more: The Continued Importance of the Strait of Hormuz in Energy Security After the 40-Day War
Targeting Oil Exports and Its Impacts
The primary objective of these operations has been set to disrupt U.S.-backed oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials emphasized that this strategy has the backing of the highest levels of Iran's leadership and aims to increase economic pressure on American voters ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
Some of the ships targeted in recent attacks have sustained serious damage and suffered severe fires or irreparable harm, indicating a higher intensity of these attacks compared to before. The non-partisan Institute for the Study of War has estimated that Iran may be "developing its anti-ship missile capabilities to improve its targeting ability on ships." According to recent statements from Iranian state media, Iran may have developed a type of anti-ship ballistic missile known as Khyber Shikan and used it to target U.S. naval forces on September 5.
Previously, the Vana news agency in Iran described the type of ammunition used in the September 5 attack as the Qassem Basir ballistic missile, claiming it has an imaging thermal sensor for target tracking.
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