Iran's navy said it has deployed operational units in a new formation east of the Strait of Hormuz, across the Sea of Oman and the Arabian Sea, after identifying a tanker that sustained damage and caught fire. According to a report by Iranian news and documentary network Press TV, the units will maintain 'real time surveillance of enemy activities and maritime traffic in the region'. The navy warned vessels not to switch off their transponders and urged them to coordinate with Iranian armed forces for safe passage.
The announcement comes as ships in the waterway experience the worst spate of attacks since the start of the US and Israel's war on Iran in late February. Maritime tracking firm Kpler recorded 10 tankers struck in the strait between September 28 and October 4, followed by another strike on October 5. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre has separately recorded 15 other attacks.
An Iranian official told the Reuters news agency that Tehran began using different offensive tactics against vessels it considered in violation of its restrictions about 10 days ago, leading to an increase in attacks. The official said one goal was to influence the outcome of the November midterm elections in the United States.
The escalation coincides with a fall in oil transit through the strait after crude flows had risen back to pre-war levels in September. With a US naval blockade of Iran's southern ports in place and sanctions tightening, Tehran has repeatedly said it will pursue military and diplomatic efforts to pressure Washington into accepting its demands on reopening the strait.
Chris Featherstone, a political scientist at the University of York in the United Kingdom, told Al Jazeera the increased attacks and their impact on energy flows demonstrate the fragility of the strait as a key pathway for oil exports.