The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy reported on October 22, 2026, that seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged overnight after four were directly hit and three struck naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz

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Shipping analysis firm Lloyd's List Intelligence reported 28 attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz during October 2026, the highest monthly total since the Iran war began in February 2026

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that reducing energy prices depends on resolving the military conflict with Iran, noting that the United States is experiencing an energy shock

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy threatened on October 22, 2026, to strike U.S. military bases in the Middle East if U.S. forces continue escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump rejected a ceasefire proposal from Iran that would have reopened the Strait of Hormuz within a week in exchange for ending the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports

Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on October 21, 2026, that Iran remains open to diplomacy but warned that Tehran could expand military targets to infrastructure such as undersea cables and data centers

Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Officer Amin Nasser stated that capacity on the East-West pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz surged threefold from 2 million to 7 million barrels daily amid the energy crisis caused by the Iran war

The U.S. Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency government personnel and family members from U.S. diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia following Houthi attacks on civilian infrastructure

Yemen-based Houthi militants launched attacks against Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry in Riyadh, an Aramco facility in Yanbu, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, where Saudi authorities reported two deaths

Former Israeli military intelligence specialist Danny Citrinowicz stated that an election victory for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 27, 2026, makes a U.S.-Israeli military attack on Iran almost guaranteed

Former Israeli military intelligence specialist Danny Citrinowicz accused Israel of rushing into another military conflict with Iran without revamping its strategy

Under U.S. Central Command protection, tanker operators have maintained oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz by conducting nighttime transfers with location tracking and mobile phones turned off

Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Officer Amin Nasser stated that the company has been using drones to assess pipeline damage and assist with firefighting

TeleGeography research director Alan Mauldin stated that less than 1% of global international bandwidth passes through the Strait of Hormuz, limiting global impact if cables there are cut

IRGC spokesperson Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi stated on October 24, 2026 that if attacked, Iran will achieve absolute victory in an apocalyptic war that will decide the fate of regional nations

An Iranian security official stated that Iran would aim to prevent repairs following any attacks it carries out on undersea cables to prolong communications and internet disruptions

Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, Chief of the General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, stated on October 24, 2026 that U.S. military vessels will not be allowed to enter the Persian Gulf under any circumstances

Two senior Iranian security officials stated that Tehran has drawn up detailed plans to target Gulf undersea communications cables if the U.S. and Israel attack Iran again

Iranian military strikes directly hit two Amazon Web Services facilities in the UAE in March 2026 and damaged infrastructure near an AWS facility in Bahrain

Neither the U.S. nor Iran had engaged in major land-based attacks since early September 2026 following the initiation of war against Iran by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 28, 2026

Yadollah Javani, deputy head of political affairs for Iran's IRGC, stated on October 21, 2026 that Iran could target seven major internet cables beneath the Strait of Hormuz if Iranian infrastructure is attacked