Attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz escalated following United States and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February 2026.

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Houthi strikes near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait disrupted Red Sea maritime trade and severely reduced Egypt's Suez Canal revenues

Conflict and Environment Observatory researcher Leon Moreland stated satellite imagery from October 19 and 21, 2026 showed the Gem No.2 slick covering approximately 160 square kilometers.

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change and Environment reported an offshore tanker oil spill on October 23, 2026 that reached the beaches of Umm Al Quwain.

Maritime firm Windward warned that uncontained oil drift threatened desalination plant water intakes and commercial ports in Sharjah and Ajman by October 23, 2026.

International maritime agencies reported the Gem No.2 was struck in a suspected Iranian drone attack on October 9, 2026, leading to the rescue of 22 Indian sailors.

Maritime risk CEO Martin Kelly and security analysts identified the leaking vessel as the Panama-flagged oil tanker Gem No.2.

Shipping sources reported that the oil tanker Gem No.2 was struck by a projectile 13 nautical miles west of Al Jazeera in the United Arab Emirates on October 9, 2026.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared it targets tankers using unapproved shipping lanes in the southern Strait of Hormuz near Oman.

Maritime intelligence firm Windward reported on October 20, 2026 that a VLCC-sized vessel was leaking oil about 25 kilometers off Umm Al Quwain.

Maritime security officials reported that Iranian forces began deploying guided missiles against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz rather than attack drones

Ali Abdollahi, chief of general staff of the Iranian armed forces, stated that Iranian forces would prevent U.S. Navy warships from re-entering Iran's territorial waters or periphery

Attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz drove Brent crude oil prices above $117 per barrel, marking an 80 percent increase in 2026

Iranian security officials told Reuters that Tehran has developed detailed plans to strike Gulf undersea cables if attacked again by the United States and Israel

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that seven oil tankers were attacked or hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz overnight into October 22, 2026, followed by two supertankers on October 23

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to target seabed internet and communication cables if Iranian civilian infrastructure is attacked by the United States or Israel

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton issued an October 23, 2026 memorandum warning that Iranian operatives have increased lethal assassination plots against U.S. officials

Iranian media and analysts reported that Tehran activated a 'dead hand' military doctrine allowing continued strikes across 31 provinces if senior Iranian figures are assassinated

Two Iranian officials told The New York Times that U.S. officials are considered targets in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli military strikes that killed Iranian personnel

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

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