Limpet Mines Damage Tanker in Strait of Hormuz, First Such Attack Since February

A tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz was attacked by a small craft that attached two limpet mines to its hull, according to a report verified by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency. The attack, which occurred on October 29, caused a fire in the engine room and left the vessel temporarily disabled, although the crew was unharmed and the ship was able to resume its voyage.

According to UKMTO, the incident took place approximately 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, while the tanker was on an outbound transit of the strait. A small craft approached on the port side and placed two explosive devices above the waterline. Maritime security sources identified the devices as limpet mines and noted that this is the first known successful use of this tactic against merchant vessels in the waterway since the war began in February; the last time Iran had resorted to this method was in May 2019, when it attacked four vessels at anchor off Fujairah.

The limpet mine attack was one of several maritime security incidents recorded that same day in the Strait of Hormuz. Another tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile during an outbound transit, with no injuries or environmental impact reported, and a dhow caught fire, listed and sank near Khasab, though its crew was safely evacuated. Separately, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy of Iran claimed that three tankers caught fire and exploded while attempting to transit routes it described as unauthorized, including one that, according to Iranian state media cited by Reuters, allegedly struck a mine; the agency said it could not independently verify these claims.

The episode contributed to oil prices heading for a monthly gain of between 13% and 14%, amid escalating hostilities in the Middle East linked to the war between the United States and Iran. As of 1707 GMT on Friday, December Brent crude was up $2.28 at $117.75 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose $2.74 to $104.79. Saul Kavonic, head of energy research at MST Marquee, said that sustained kinetic activity around the Strait of Hormuz, combined with doubts over a viable diplomatic path, is keeping crude prices elevated amid expectations of further escalation in the conflict in the coming weeks.

Attacks are particularly concentrated on the southern route, through which the United States coordinates the movement of commercial vessels: according to UKMTO's weekly report from October 30, 59 of the 81 reported projectile strikes since July 6 occurred in that corridor. Since the conflict began on February 28, UKMTO has recorded 145 incidents related to the war between Iran and the United States within its area of coverage, 88 of them involving vessels in the strait itself as of October 28. Despite this, commercial traffic is gradually recovering, though it remains close to 70% below pre-conflict levels.