At Least Six Ships Attacked in the Strait of Hormuz Since September 28
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Since Sunday, September 28, 2026, at least six vessels have been struck by unidentified projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The impacts caused small fires and blackouts on board, although in all cases crews were reported unharmed and no environmental damage was confirmed. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued alerts for the various incidents, and authorities are investigating what occurred.
The vessels attacked
Among the tankers affected are the VLCC Al Funtas, owned by Kuwait Oil Tanker Co, hit on September 28, and the following day the Mersin Prosperity, the Sinbad, and the product tanker Al Ruwais, all three transiting with their AIS switched off. On October 1, the VLCC Kazimah III, also operated by the Kuwaiti shipping company, was struck, while on October 2 the tanker Uhud, of Emirates Shipping, suffered an impact while exiting the strait. On October 4, an attack was reported against the LR2 Lipsi, a recently delivered vessel operated by Dynacom Tankers Management.
Operational context
Most of the vessels attacked were sailing with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched off to reduce the risk of detection. The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) noted that surveillance activity, drone overflights, and harassment by Iranian forces persist in the area. Estimates of actual traffic through the strait differ: while independent data cited by the JMIC pointed to single-digit daily transits in each direction, data from the U.S. NCAGS indicated an average of around 30 transits per day over the past 96 hours.
Escalation of the conflict
In September alone, at least 16 attacks on vessels were recorded in the strait, including four incidents within 24 hours between September 28 and 29. The International Maritime Organization had confirmed 85 attacks on commercial vessels in and around Hormuz as of September 24, before this latest series of incidents. TradeWinds tallied 107 vessel strikes in the Middle East over more than seven months of war. The risk drove up freight rates for voyages through Hormuz: VLCC charter rates topped one million dollars a day, and DHT Holdings estimated earning about $35.9 million from a single fixture in the Gulf of Oman.
Attack on the Saudi pipeline
The wave of attacks also affected the Saudi port of Yanbu, on the Red Sea, where an unidentified projectile struck on Thursday, sparking a fire and forcing a temporary suspension of loading operations. Yanbu had only just resumed its crude oil exports after drone attacks forced Saudi Arabia to shut down the East-West Pipeline on September 11; the system came back online on September 22, and loadings resumed a few days later.
