Iran is using unarmed spotters in small boats to identify potential targets, including US naval vessels, Reuters reported, citing a US military official.
The unnamed official described a previously unreported incident last week in which Iranian spotters on a dhow were "calling in" targets to the IRGC.
US forces told the occupants to abandon ship and then destroyed it. The official said there were no casualties.
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Maritime security analysis of attacks reported to UKMTO suggests Iran may already be targeting ships beyond the Strait itself.
Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Iran is using new tactics to keep oil prices high and influence the US midterm elections. They said the change involves both the type and the pace of attacks.
On Oct. 6, U.S. forces destroyed an Iranian-affiliated dhow conducting surveillance and targeting U.S. Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman. Over the past seven months, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has continued to indiscriminately target thousands of civilian mariners… pic.twitter.com/99Vn5TTxVh
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 14, 2026
Iran’s own public rhetoric matches this. Mohsen Rezaei told state TV that Iran targets five or six vessels every night and that Hormuz is under Iranian control.
The "shuttle system" involving ship-to-ship transfers of crude oil outside Hormuz Strait is described as an explicit Iranian target.
'24 ships' hit
The Financial Times reported that 24 ships were hit in the two weeks to 11 October, including three refined-product tankers and two crude tankers.
Other tallies use different time frames: UKMTO’s count of warnings for the month reached 24, while Oilprice reported at least 24 foreign vessels were hit in October.
There is no independent verification about the "spotter" accounts in Hormuz and there's no Pentagon statement or no Iranian comment on it.
The Iranian officials are also anonymous, and their stated motive — influencing the US midterms — is an unverified claim.
President Trump late on Wednesday has again threatened to "hit Iran harder".
Speaking at a rally in Alaska, the US leader warned the US is "going to do a number on Iran," while insisting American forces control the Strait of Hormuz and are keeping oil moving.
Saudi Arabia and the Houthis are trading new strikes, raising concerns about a wider regional conflict.