Oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz are coming under fire almost daily, as Iran escalates its attacks in an effort to choke off a rebound in crude exports.
Eleven tankers came under attack while transiting Hormuz during the week that ended Oct. 4, the most strikes on commercial ships since the war began in late February, according to data from the International Maritime Organization, or IMO, a United Nations agency.
Another five tankers have come under attack this week. Twelve sailors were injured Monday when a projectile struck their tanker as it transited Hormuz. The sailors were Indian nationals and the ship, On Peace, is owned by the United Arab Emirates, according to the maritime security firm Marisks.
"These actions continue to demonstrate Iran's intent to assert [its] presence along key transit lanes and maintain pressure on transiting vessels," the Joint Maritime Information Center warned commercial ships in a Thursday notice. The center is a coalition of U.S. allied militaries headquartered in Bahrain that monitors maritime security in the region.
A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard official said Wednesday that Iran will block all "illicit routes" through Hormuz, according to the Fars News Agency, an outlet considered close to the Guard.