12 Ships Attacked in Week as US, Iran Spar Over Hormuz — SkimNews
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- UKMTO confirmed at least 12 ships were attacked in the week ending October 16, though it warned that 'the majority of vessels attacked' declined to report incidents, suggesting the true count is higher.
- CENTCOM chief Brad Cooper asserted US dominance, claiming 400 ships and 100 million barrels of oil transited Hormuz last week and pinning the spike in attacks on IRGC 'desperation.'
- Iran's IRGC claimed a supertanker carrying over 2 million barrels of crude caught fire after striking a mine in an 'unauthorised' route; CENTCOM countered that it had cleared the strait of mines and blamed projectiles.
- Oil flows through Hormuz averaged 11.6 million barrels per day in the seven days to October 13 — roughly 68% of the 17.1 million bpd pre-war baseline — while Brent crude touched $110 a barrel for the first time since May.
- M/V GFS Pride sank after being towed to shore; the US said it was struck by an IRGC projectile, not a mine as Iran claimed, with Tehran and Washington offering contradictory narratives on each incident.
- President Trump has ordered the military to remain prepared for larger strikes after the November 3 midterms, potentially including the GBU-43/B 'mother of all bombs,' per US media.
- Iran's acting Defence Minister Majid Ibn Reza said it will be 'Iranian missiles, not US bombs' that 'determine the future of the war,' signaling Tehran's intent to keep up attacks.
Why it matters: Hormuz normally moves roughly a fifth of global oil and gas flows, yet transits have collapsed to about 68% of pre-war levels while attacks accelerate — and the US is explicitly holding major strikes until after the November 3 midterms, meaning weeks of continued disruption to energy markets that are already paying $110 Brent.
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