7 oil tankers hit in the Strait of Hormuz reignite fears of returning to full-scale war

Seven oil tankers caught fire or suffered damage in the Strait of Hormuz overnight, according to Iran, which claimed the attacks were carried out by Iranian forces or via naval mines, raising tensions over the possibility of returning to all-out war. With key elections looming in Israel and the United States, there are concerns that U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran may resume.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly eager to attack Iran, according to Danny Citrinowicz, a researcher at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies. Citrinowicz believes an Israeli victory in the October 27 election would almost certainly lead to an attack on Iran. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to strike U.S. military bases in the region if the U.S. continues to assist commercial ships navigating the strait.

The attacks have brought the number of incidents in October to the highest since the war began in March, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations. Despite the attacks, oil tankers continue to transport crude through the Strait of Hormuz, protected by U.S. military forces. Tanker operators are using a U.S.-protected lane near Oman's coast to shuttle oil from Gulf producers to Asian customers at night, with significant financial costs involved.

Iran has shown openness to diplomacy but also readiness for self-defense, emphasizing that it has learned military lessons from the ongoing conflict. The U.S. is increasing its military presence in the region, including deploying a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops, to join the largest force of American warships in the Middle East in decades.