Tehran Calls the Arab Oil Shuttle Route Out of the Southern Strait of Hormuz an "Explicit Target"; Windward Reports Surging Ship Attacks

Al Jazeera reports that Iranian officials have signalled they intend to disrupt a system that, according to the outlet, was set up by Arab operators with US military help to move more energy exports out through the Strait of Hormuz. Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said on the night of Sunday, 19 Mehr 1405 (October 11, 2026) that the system is now an explicit target for Tehran. He claimed US Central Command, with help from the UAE military, is using smaller vessels to transfer oil to larger tankers. Al Jazeera says several vessels were hit on the night of Sunday into Monday, including two outbound tankers and one at an anchorage near Oman's Sohar; the IRGC has said three tankers suffered major damage from mines over the weekend, though Al Jazeera notes the footage released did not appear to show a mine exploding.

Citing Windward, a maritime intelligence firm, at least 15 ships have been targeted since the start of October 2026. In the last week of September an average of 31 ships a day transited the strait, against 138 before the war. Of the 45 ships targeted in the third quarter of 2026, 87 percent were tankers. Windward says freight now makes up 25 to 30 percent of the cost of Persian Gulf crude, against 1 to 3 percent before the war, and national oil companies are offering discounts of up to $35 a barrel below official selling prices.

Rezaei also said Iran wants to keep its authority over Hormuz and would respond harshly if Iran's energy and civilian infrastructure were attacked again. The developments come as the oil market also watches Houthi strikes on Saudi airports and the possibility of US involvement in that fighting.