{"id":2651,"date":"2026-10-14T09:03:46","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T04:03:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=2651"},"modified":"2026-10-14T09:03:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T04:03:46","slug":"iran-shifting-tactics-to-step-up-attacks-on-shipping-before-us-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=2651","title":{"rendered":"Iran shifting tactics to step up attacks on shipping before US vote"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Iran is deploying new tactics to target ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz as it seeks \u200bto keep oil prices high and influence the US midterm elections, two senior Iranian officials told Reuters.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tehran has tried to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz since the US \u200cand Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28.<\/p>\n

It has restricted passage through the waterway, which carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the war<\/a>, in an effort to gain leverage over Washington.<\/p>\n

Its threats and attacks have severely curtailed traffic through the strait, driving up oil prices<\/a>, though some oil has continued to transit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The two officials declined to provide details of the new strategy, but one said that Iran had started using different offensive tactics against vessels it considered in violation of its \u200brestrictions about 10 days ago, adding that this had led to an increase in attacks on such ships.<\/p>\n

The strategy included a change in the type as well as the pace of attacks, with \u200bone goal being to influence the outcome of the US vote, they said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe aim is to frustrate efforts by the United States and its allies to bring \u2060down global oil prices,\u201d one of the two officials said.<\/p>\n

The decision to adopt the new strategy had been taken at the highest levels of Iran\u2019s leadership and was fully coordinated across the country\u2019s ruling system, the officials \u200bsaid.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Iran using spotters<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Iran had changed tactics in one significant way: after the US destroyed much of Iran\u2019s radar capabilities, Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had started \u200busing unarmed spotters in small boats to identify potential targets, including US naval vessels, the official said.<\/p>\n

Last week, in a previously unreported incident, the US military determined that Iranian spotters were operating from a dhow, calling in targets to the IRGC, the official said. US forces confronted the vessel, told its occupants to abandon ship and then destroyed it. There were no casualties, the US official said.<\/p>\n

Unwilling to risk its remaining fast boats, Iran had been unable to prevent a ramp-up in oil exports through \u200bthe strait, the official said, particularly after US strikes devastated its navy.<\/p>\n

The war \u2014 and its $3 billion monthly price tag<\/a> \u2014 has become a key issue on the US campaign trail for November\u2019s midterm elections<\/a>, which will decide control of \u200bCongress.<\/p>\n

US President Donald Trump has been weighing next steps<\/a> against Iran, but has said he will not attack<\/a> again before the vote.<\/p>\n

The US has meanwhile been pressing its own naval blockade of Iranian ports and extending sanctions<\/a> as it tries to pile economic pressure<\/a> \u200con Tehran to \u2060reach a deal to end the conflict.<\/p>\n

The standoff over Hormuz has left global energy markets exposed to further disruption, with the threat of attacks and high shipping and insurance costs complicating efforts to restore normal traffic.<\/p>\n

In recent days, attacks on commercial ships still sailing through the strait have surged to their highest level<\/a> since the war began, according to independent data.<\/p>\n

There have been at least five incidents in the past 48 hours involving tankers and other commercial ships around the Hormuz area, including drone strikes, according to data analysis from maritime security sources and incidents reported to British navy-affiliated agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).<\/p>\n

That approximately mirrored the rate of attacks on October 3-5, \u200bpointing to a new escalation, according to data from \u200bthe UN shipping agency, the International Maritime Organisation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere \u2060is a tempo increase in strikes, which looks deliberate,\u201d one maritime security source said.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Attacks over an expanded area<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As part of the new strategy, Tehran will also expand the geographical scope of its operations beyond the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman and waters further afield, the officials said.<\/p>\n

Analysis by maritime security sources based on \u200battacks reported to UKMTO and maritime security companies in the region suggests this may already be happening.<\/p>\n

They show Iran targeting ships in areas beyond the \u200bStrait of Hormuz, including waters off \u2060the coast of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, in recent days.<\/p>\n

The second Iranian official added that Tehran would not allow Trump to bring down oil prices before the November elections.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust when they think they are getting close to the point where prices will fall, we will push them away from it. This is a game of chess,\u201d the second official said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch vessels would be safe nowhere, even outside the Strait of Hormuz.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pentagon and Iran\u2019s Foreign Ministry did \u2060not immediately respond \u200bto requests for comment.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Complete closure of Hormuz soon, says Iranian official<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Both Iranian officials said Tehran is moving towards a situation in which \u200bno vessel violating its restrictions would be able to pass through the strait. \u201cIt will be complete closure soon,\u201d one of the officials said.<\/p>\n

In its latest report on Sunday, the US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) said the threat to merchant shipping in the Strait of \u200bHormuz remained \u201csevere\u201d, the second-highest level.<\/p>\n

\u201cIRGC attacks, attempted attacks, and\/or harassment activity persisted, including UAV overflight, targeted surveillance of merchant shipping, and occasional VHF hailing,\u201d JMIC said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Iran is deploying new tactics to target ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz as it seeks \u200bto keep oil prices high and influence the US midterm elections, two senior Iranian officials told Reuters. Tehran has tried to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz since the US \u200cand Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28. It has restricted passage through the waterway, which carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the war, in an effort to gain leverage over Washington. Its threats…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english"],"gutentor_comment":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2651"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2651\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}