12 Ships Attacked Near Hormuz in One Week, UKMTO Data Shows

Twelve vessels were attacked in and around the Strait of Hormuz between Oct. 5 and Oct. 11, the largest number of weekly ship strikes reported to the UK's Maritime Trade Operations agency since the US-Israeli war with Iran began, according to a BBC Verify analysis of UKMTO data published Oct. 16.

What does UKMTO track, and how was the count built?

UKMTO is the UK agency that collects and publishes incident reports from commercial vessels operating in the region. BBC Verify built its timeline by collating those reports and dating each one to the first date cited in the filing — a method the outlet describes as approximate, since some reports list the date of the attack and others the date it was logged with the agency.

How many ships were hit, and when?

• Week of Sept. 28–Oct. 4: 10 ships reported attacked, per UKMTO data cited by BBC Verify.
• Week of Oct. 5–Oct. 11: 12 ships reported attacked — the record high.
• Sunday, Oct. 11: six vessels struck in a single day, a one-day high for the conflict.
• Week of Oct. 12 onward (through publication): four reported attacks so far, including the container ship GFS Pride, which sank Tuesday after being hit by an unidentified projectile in the strait. All 21 crew were evacuated safely, BBC Verify reports.

One of Sunday's six strikes hit the Nicaragua-flagged tanker Petro Dolphin near the Sohar Anchorage in Oman, more than 250 kilometers from the strait itself, according to maritime intelligence firm Vanguard. Eleven Indian seafarers were rescued; two remain missing, the Forward Seamen's Union of India said.

Why is Iran escalating strikes now?

Experts cited by BBC Verify say Tehran is attacking ships to assert greater control over the waterway as the US military expands the number of tankers it escorts through the southern strait to evade Iranian strikes. Iran has also widened its target area beyond the strait itself, according to those experts. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released footage it said showed the GFS Pride sinking, claiming the vessel carried "2,500 containers of contraband" and had taken an "unauthorised route."

How much has oil shipping actually slowed?

About 12.6 million barrels per day moved through the strait on Oct. 13, down from 15 million barrels per day at the end of September, according to trade intelligence firm Kpler. Both figures remain below the roughly 17 million barrels per day the strait carried before the war. Much of the recent flow has used a "shuttle" system, in which smaller tankers load in Gulf Arab states and transfer cargo to larger tankers in the Gulf of Oman after transiting the strait.

What is the US military saying?

US Central Command said on social media that "commercial traffic continues to flow through the Strait of Hormuz with co-ordinated protection from US forces and regional partners," despite the rise in attacks. Separately, US Navy data shows vessels given navigation assistance through the strait in the first 10 days of October rose 85% compared with the same period in August, BBC Verify reports.

What to watch

• Whether weekly UKMTO incident counts exceed the 12-ship record set Oct. 5–11.
• Kpler's next barrels-per-day readings for signs the September recovery resumes or stalls further.
• Confirmation on the status of the two missing Petro Dolphin crew members.
• Whether CENTCOM reports further changes in tanker escort volumes through the strait.