Iran steps up Hormuz surveillance: Attacks soar, oil flows crash again

What the report says

Iran says it has expanded military surveillance in the Strait of Hormuz by deploying new operational units east of the chokepoint and across nearby waters, as tensions rise over shipping in one of the world’s most important energy routes. In the account published by Al Jazeera on 14 October 2026, Iranian forces said they were monitoring maritime traffic in real time and warned vessels to keep transponders on and coordinate for safe passage.

The announcement comes amid a sharp increase in reported attacks on ships. Al Jazeera, citing maritime tracking sources and UK maritime officials, said multiple tankers and other vessels were struck between late September and mid-October, with the pace of incidents described as the most severe since the war involving Iran, the US and Israel began in February 2026. The report also says the US Navy-led maritime center continues to rate the threat to merchant shipping as severe.

The surge has already affected oil movements. According to the report, flows through Hormuz had recovered toward pre-war levels in September, but recent attacks pushed transit volumes down again, with one day in October showing the lowest level of oil carried through the strait that month. That matters because the passage normally handles a large share of global crude and liquefied natural gas trade.

Al Jazeera also reported conflicting claims over control of the waterway. US officials said American and regional forces help keep shipping moving, while Iranian officials argued that Tehran is responding to security threats and can disrupt a US-backed shuttle system used to move oil through the area.