New Wave of Attacks Hits Tankers and LNG Carrier in Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf

Commercial vessels faced several kinds of attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Unidentified projectiles struck tankers and the LNG carrier AL MAYEDA. A small boat approached LOUISE 1 and attached two explosive devices above the waterline. These incidents matter because they can damage ships, start fires, disable propulsion and endanger crews moving energy supplies.

RITI was struck near Khasab on October 29. The projectile caused a small fire and loss of propulsion, prompting Oman to evacuate 25 crew members. LOUISE 1 suffered an engine-room fire but continued its voyage. ARZANAH was damaged, while AL MAYEDA caught fire without injuries or environmental damage. Another tanker was struck twice on November 1 east of Ras Al Khafji.

The attackers were not identified in the reported incidents. All crew members were accounted for in the latest attack, and no environmental damage was reported. The incidents show that risks extend beyond the narrow Strait into the Arabian Gulf, threatening shipping operations and energy deliveries.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime passage between the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It matters because ships carrying oil and liquefied natural gas use this route to leave Gulf ports and reach international markets. A disruption can therefore affect shipping schedules, energy security and regional maritime operations.

The article describes vessels transiting outbound through the Strait near Khasab, Oman, and records attacks both inside the passage and farther into the Arabian Gulf. RITI, LOUISE 1 and ARZANAH were attacked near or in the Strait. The LNG carrier AL MAYEDA was struck about 40 nautical miles south of Iran’s Lavan Island.

JMIC rated the threat as SEVERE and said further deliberate attacks were highly likely. About 490 vessels were waiting outside the Strait on November 1. The article does not quantify the route’s normal energy traffic, but it shows that insecurity is already reducing commercial movement.

The clearest count in the article is JMIC’s record of 18 confirmed attacks in the Strait since October 6. That figure applied to the November 1 assessment and came before the two latest UKMTO warnings were incorporated. The article therefore does not establish a final combined total for every attack or attempted attack in and around the Strait.

The two new incidents occurred on November 1. One tanker was hit by two unidentified projectiles east of Ras Al Khafji. Earlier, a merchant vessel reported a Mayday call from another ship reportedly struck by an unknown projectile. Their vessel identities and damage details were not fully known.

The wider disruption is shown by roughly 490 vessels waiting outside the Strait on November 1. JMIC also recorded 119 U.S.-facilitated transits from October 29 to 31. These figures show both continuing movement and a major buildup of ships waiting for safer passage.

Several authorities are responding to the maritime threat. UK Maritime Trade Operations, or UKMTO, receives incident reports and issues warnings to ships. The Joint Maritime Information Center, or JMIC, tracks attacks, assesses the threat and advises the maritime community. Its latest assessment rated the Strait of Hormuz as SEVERE.

The Royal Navy of Oman and Oman’s Maritime Security Centre coordinated the evacuation of 25 crew members from RITI. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack on AL MAYEDA and said authorities were investigating. Qatar’s state-owned Nakilat confirmed the vessel’s condition. U.S. naval forces were coordinating shipping movements, while JMIC recorded U.S.-facilitated transits.

The article also reports continued Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps activity. It included surveillance, UAV overflights, radio hailing and pressure on merchant vessels to use Iranian-controlled routes. The attackers in the reported strikes remained unidentified, so investigations and warnings remain central to the response.

Attacking tankers and LNG carriers creates immediate risks for people, ships and cargo. Strikes can cause fires, engine failures and loss of propulsion. They can also force crews to abandon vessels or require rescue. Because these ships carry energy cargoes, repeated attacks can slow deliveries and increase pressure on an already disrupted maritime route.

RITI lost propulsion and caught fire after being struck, leading Oman to evacuate 25 seafarers. LOUISE 1 suffered an engine-room fire after explosive devices were attached to its hull. AL MAYEDA also caught fire after being hit. Yet crews were reported safe in the described cases, and the latest tanker attack left all crew members accounted for.

The article highlights wider consequences for global energy security and regional water security. Qatar warned that targeting energy carriers could harm the Gulf’s marine environment. So far, the reported incidents caused no environmental damage, but the threat remains serious as attacks spread beyond the Strait.

Commercial ships have two broad choices when a chokepoint becomes dangerous: improve protection while transiting or take a longer route. In this crisis, the article documents U.S. naval forces coordinating shipping movements and 119 U.S.-facilitated transits. JMIC also reports pressure on ships to use Iranian-controlled transit routes, although that is not presented as a neutral safety measure.

A ship could theoretically sail around the Arabian Peninsula instead of using the Strait. Such rerouting would add distance, fuel use, time and operating cost. Ships may also wait outside the Strait until authorities provide warnings or coordinated movement. The article gives one clear sign of this approach: approximately 490 vessels were waiting outside on November 1.

These options are limited. Rerouting may be impractical for some cargoes and schedules, while coordinated transits cannot remove all danger. The article says attacks occurred inside the Strait and farther into the Arabian Gulf, so avoiding one location may not eliminate the wider security threat.

Tankers and LNG carriers connect energy producers in the Gulf with consumers far beyond the region. Tankers carry liquid petroleum cargoes, while LNG carriers transport liquefied natural gas. Their voyages turn energy produced near the Gulf into supplies available to countries and companies elsewhere. The article describes them as part of global energy security.

The connection depends on safe sea passages. RITI, LOUISE 1 and ARZANAH were tankers attacked while transiting near or through the Strait of Hormuz. AL MAYEDA, an LNG carrier operated by Qatar’s Nakilat, was struck farther into the Arabian Gulf. These ships carry energy cargoes toward international destinations, so damage or delay can interrupt the supply chain.

The article reports significantly reduced commercial traffic and about 490 vessels waiting outside the Strait. Qatar warned that attacks threaten maritime navigation and global energy security. Continued targeting could therefore delay deliveries, raise operational risks and disrupt regional maritime operations, even when ships remain operational.