October 2026 has been identified as the most perilous month for commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, with a staggering 28 maritime attacks reported.
October has emerged as the deadliest month for commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waterways, according to data compiled by a Washington-based think tank that has monitored maritime security incidents worldwide since 2017.
Greece-based consultancy Marisks said October 2026 had become the most intense period for maritime attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz since hostilities escalated in March. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the British maritime security service, reported 135 incidents linked to the US-Iran conflict as of October 16.
“October has seen the highest number of ship attacks on record,” said Noam Raydan, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The institute’s data indicates that most attacks recorded in September and October occurred in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the news agency Reuters. Iran is escalating attacks to hamper the recovery of shipping activity and sustain pressure on global energy markets ahead of the US midterm elections in November, according to Raydan. However, the agency said a lack of voluntary reporting from shipping companies was making it difficult to establish the full extent of the attacks.