Iran Reports Tankers Hitting Mines as Hormuz Attack Accounts Multiply

The latest reports follow an unusually heavy month of attacks on commercial shipping. On October 26, Times of India reported 28 maritime attacks during October, describing it as the most perilous month for commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The alerts also extended to waters off Iraq. Anadolu Ajansı reported on October 26 that a UK maritime agency had received a report of a vessel on fire off al-Faw. The supplied coverage does not establish a connection between that fire and the subsequent Hormuz incidents.

On October 27, Iran's army said an oil tanker had struck mines and caught fire while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz on a route Tehran had not authorized, according to Mehr News. That was an Iranian account of the cause and circumstances of the fire.

On October 29, the IRGC Navy said three tankers had exploded and caught fire after striking naval mines on an unauthorized route south of the strait, ISNA reported. NDTV said it was not immediately clear when the incidents occurred or which flags the tankers were flying.

The reported total was not consistent. Also on October 29, The Hindu reported Iran's account of four tankers on fire. It cited a statement alleging that the vessels had switched off their radar and navigation systems and disregarded IRGC Navy warnings.

Separate maritime alerts described other forms of attack. On October 29, Middle East Eye reported that the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, or UKMTO, had received a company security officer's report that a tanker had been struck by an unknown projectile.

On October 30, Middle East Eye reported that an outbound vessel had caught fire following an incident on Thursday, 25 nautical miles from Oman. Al Arabiya English also reported UKMTO's account of a tanker hit by explosives attached to a small boat. The supplied reports do not establish whether these alerts describe separate vessels or overlapping accounts.

By October 30, Al Jazeera was reporting the IRGC's claim that four tankers had struck naval mines after using unauthorized routes. But Arab News carried an IRGC account of two tankers involved in an incident and stopped south of the strait. It is unclear whether that account concerns a separate incident or overlaps with the earlier claims.

There was a more reassuring update on one reported attack. NDTV reported on October 30 that UKMTO had received a verified report confirming all crew members were safe and there was no environmental impact. That finding cannot be extended to every vessel mentioned in the coverage.

The immediate questions are which vessels were involved, when each incident happened and how many reports concern the same ships. CNA reported on October 30 that the timing and flags of the tankers in Iran's four-vessel account were still unclear.

Further clarification is also needed on the causes. The Iranian mine claims, the projectile report and the small-boat explosives account describe different mechanisms. Until vessel identities and incident details are matched, they cannot reliably be added together into a single attack total.