Iran shifting tactics to step up attacks on shipping before US vote, officials say
DUBAI/LONDON/WASHINGTON: Iran is deploying new tactics to target ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz as it seeks to 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 and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28. It has restricted passage through the…
Iran is employing new strategies to intensify attacks on vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz ahead of the US midterm elections, according to two senior Iranian officials quoted by Reuters. The objective behind these tactics is to perpetuate high oil prices and assert control over the strategic waterway, which previously facilitated approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade.
Iran initiated its control measures following the US and Israel's strikes against Iran on February 28, which significantly impeded traffic through the strait and consequently inflated oil prices. While some oil has continued to traverse the strait, the number of attacks on vessels deemed non-compliant with Iran's restrictions has surged in recent days, as reported by maritime security sources and incidents documented by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The officials disclosed that Iran commenced utilizing different offensive tactics against vessels violating its restrictions around ten days ago, resulting in a rise in attacks. This new approach encompasses alterations in the type and frequency of attacks, aiming to sway the outcome of the US vote. Iran's IRGC has resorted to employing unarmed spotters in small boats to pinpoint potential targets, including US naval vessels, following the US's destruction of Iran's radar capabilities.
In a previously undisclosed incident, US forces apprehended a vessel carrying Iranian spotters, instructing them to disembark and subsequently destroyed it without any casualties. The US has been pressuring Iran through naval blockades and intensified sanctions, aiming to coerce Tehran into reaching a resolution to end the conflict.
The ongoing standoff over Hormuz has left global energy markets vulnerable to further disruptions, intensifying the urgency for a swift resolution.
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