UKMTO says 11 ships attacked in week to 4 Nov in Hormuz, Arabian Gulf

In the week leading up to November 4, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported 11 attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Gulf. Of these incidents, three vessels were sunk, eight occurred in the Strait of Hormuz, and three in the Arabian Gulf. UKMTO's weekly overview detailed that three vessels continued their journeys, five required assistance, and three sank during these attacks.

One dhow was hit by an unidentified projectile on November 2, resulting in the death of a single crew member. Meanwhile, 13 ships were rescued by local authorities. A Panama-flagged supply vessel was the victim of an unidentified projectile strike in the Strait of Hormuz on November 1, subsequently sinking after its crew was rescued by a nearby merchant vessel.

Additionally, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker faced two unidentified projectiles in the Arabian Gulf on November 4, leaving it adrift and necessitating assistance from local authorities. The combined traffic through the Strait of Hormuz for the seven-day period amounted to 325 transits, consisting of 170 outbound and 155 inbound movements.

This figure is roughly 65 percent lower than pre-conflict levels. UKMTO noted that automatic identification system-observed transits climbed to 71 from 64 the previous week, while facilitated transits remained stable. Approximately 80 percent of Strait of Hormuz transits involved energy carriers. The report also highlighted an uptick in vessels utilizing the southern route, although most ships transmitting AIS continued to utilize the Iranian route.

No attacks on shipping were documented in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb during the week. The last reported attack had taken place on August 24, 65 days earlier. Nonetheless, transit levels in Bab el-Mandeb were 24 percent below pre-Houthi blockade levels recorded on July 22.