Iran Steps Up Hormuz Shipping Attacks as Oil Prices Rise

The shipping crisis is part of the war that began in late February with US and Israeli strikes against Tehran, according to NDTV. Since then, Iran has claimed control of the Strait of Hormuz and regularly targeted ships attempting to pass without its permission.

Reopening the waterway has become tied to negotiations with Washington. On October 11, Middle East Eye reported that Tehran considered the US response inadequate and demanded changes before agreeing to reopen Hormuz and resume talks.

The pressure extends beyond the strait. Iran International reported that diplomacy remained deadlocked as the Iran-backed Houthis intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia.

On October 12, Mint reported that Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said Washington had accepted some of Iran's seven conditions for reopening Hormuz, but its response was still inadequate. Separately, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran was still reviewing the response, according to CNN Brasil. These accounts suggest partial movement, not an agreement.

Maritime attacks continued. Al Jazeera reported on October 12 that a drone attacked the Petro Dolphin oil tanker off Oman, causing it to sink and leaving two Indian sailors missing. Arab News separately reported that Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they struck a vessel attempting to cross Hormuz that Monday.

Iran also offered to mediate between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. The New York Times reported the offer on October 12, as Saudi Arabia faced increasingly deadly attacks from the Yemeni militia that Iran has long backed.

By October 13, the scale of the shipping campaign had become clearer. The Financial Times reported that Iran had targeted 24 tankers and other vessels in two weeks, including six on Sunday, describing the attacks as the worst spate since the war began.

Military warnings sharpened that day. General Ali Ozamaei, Commander of the IRGC Navy, threatened to sink US warships approaching Hormuz, according to Mehr News. CNBC also reported that a Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had intercepted another attack on Riyadh.

On October 14, The Japan Times reported that two senior Iranian officials described a shift in shipping tactics designed to keep oil prices high before the US vote. Arab News reported that oil prices rose after two vessels were struck in Hormuz and Iranian officials described the new tactics.

The latest coverage shows attacks intensifying without a completed diplomatic settlement. Tehran is combining talks with continued military pressure, according to Iran International, while warning that renewed US attacks could bring a broader regional response.

There is also a dispute over conditions at sea. Tehran Times reported that Iran rejected US assertions that maritime traffic had returned to normal, arguing that Washington's naval blockade and economic sanctions prevented security from being restored. The reported rise in attacks offers no clear sign of a stable reopening.

Oil markets are reacting to both shipping attacks and Saudi supply risks. Business Line reported Brent futures above $106 on October 14, while CNBC International linked rising prices to concerns about supply disruptions amid tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.

Iran's formal reply to Washington remains a concrete next step. Times Now reported that Tehran would respond once its review was complete. The supplied coverage does not spell out all seven conditions or establish which ones Washington accepted.

The other tests are whether the attacks spread farther into the Gulf of Oman and whether Iran's mediation offer produces talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. News18 reported preparations to expand maritime operations beyond Hormuz, while The New York Times reported the mediation offer but no resulting agreement.