Iran Widens Shipping Attacks Around Hormuz to Keep Oil Prices High Before US Midterms

Iran has widened the geographic scope and changed the tactics of its attacks on commercial shipping around the Strait of Hormuz, two senior Iranian officials told Reuters. The aim, they said, is to keep oil prices elevated ahead of the US midterm elections in November. One official compared the contest to a game of chess and said Tehran would not allow President Donald Trump to bring prices down before voters cast ballots.

The new approach began roughly ten days ago. Attacks have moved beyond the strait itself into waters off Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Maritime security sources and the UK Maritime Trade Operations recorded at least five incidents involving tankers and other commercial ships in the past 48 hours, including drone strikes. No casualties were reported in the latest wave. A US official said Iran is using spotters but has been unable to stop a partial recovery in oil flows after earlier US strikes reduced its naval capacity.

Traffic through the strait collapsed after the war began in late February. Flows later rebounded toward pre-war levels in late September before falling again as attacks increased. Independent trackers put recent daily crude volumes well below the roughly 20 million barrels that moved through before the conflict. Brent crude has stayed above $100 a barrel for weeks. Trump posted last week that the United States would not strike Iran before the midterms but that the naval blockade would continue.

The Iranian officials declined to list specific new weapons or exact targeting rules. They stated that the change in type and pace of attacks is intended to frustrate US and allied efforts to lower global prices. Oil remains a central issue in the US campaign. High fuel costs have featured in Republican and Democratic messaging alike. Iran has previously offered phased deals to reopen the strait; those proposals have not produced a lasting agreement.

The immediate record consists of the officials' statements to Reuters, the five recent incidents logged by maritime agencies, and the continued restriction on full pre-war volumes. Whether the adjusted tactics produce a sustained price increase or simply maintain the current level will be clearer after the next set of transit data and any further strikes.