Three Tanker Attacks Hit Hormuz as Saudi Oil Is Forced Back Toward Strait

A new burst of attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is hitting just as Saudi Arabia is being forced to send more oil back through the waterway after losing its main bypass route.

UK Maritime Trade Operations has issued three attack warnings covering incidents in the Strait since September 16, including two tankers struck by projectiles and another security incident near Khasab, Oman.

One attack has been claimed by Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said Thursday it struck the Togo-flagged tanker Trend after accusing the vessel of attempting an unauthorized transit through Hormuz. Iran said the ship was hit and stopped after a fire broke out.

UKMTO separately reported an attack 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab on Sept. 17. The crew was reported safe.

Two more warnings followed Friday. One tanker was struck by an unknown projectile, causing a fire that was later extinguished. Another tanker was hit by an unknown projectile while outbound through Hormuz on September 16. In both cases, crews were reported safe.

UKMTO has not attributed those two attacks to Iran.

The incidents add to a broader pattern. In its latest regional assessment, UKMTO said the southern Omani route has become the highest-risk corridor through Hormuz, accounting for 22 of 35 projectile strikes since July 6. Engine rooms were hit in 24 of those incidents.

Saudi Arabia had been moving millions of barrels per day west through its East-West Pipeline to Yanbu on the Red Sea, allowing crude exports to bypass Hormuz.

That route was disrupted after drone strikes damaged three pumping stations. Industry estimates cited by Reuters suggest full repairs could take five to six weeks, although partial flows may resume sooner.

Saudi Arabia is now shifting barrels back toward the Persian Gulf. Saudi Aramco plans to move roughly 60 million barrels through Hormuz during September and October, according to traders cited by Reuters, with some cargoes transferred ship-to-ship near Sohar, Oman.

The latest attacks bring renewed pressure on the Omani route used for U.S.-facilitated transits under Project Freedom.

UKMTO says U.S.-reported facilitated movements along the southern route averaged about 24 vessels per day over the latest seven-day period, far above the number visible on AIS. At the same time, overall traffic through Hormuz remains well below normal.

Iran’s claim of responsibility for the Trend strike is therefore especially significant. Tehran has repeatedly challenged vessel movements it considers unauthorized, while Saudi Arabia now needs to push more crude through the same corridor.

The other two attacks have not been attributed to Iran.

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