Ship attacks in Strait of Hormuz hit record 37 in October; Houthis strike Saudi Arabia

Ship attacks in the Strait of Hormuz surged to their highest monthly level since the war with Iran began, as tensions across the Middle East show no sign of easing.

According to Lloyd's List Intelligence, a British maritime data firm, 37 ship attacks were recorded in the strait last month — the most in any single month since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February, triggering the war.

At least 14 attacks have been confirmed so far this month. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy announced Friday that a liquefied gas carrier struck a mine in the eastern Strait of Hormuz, triggering a large explosion.

Iran has asserted control over the Strait of Hormuz and has been attacking vessels that have not received its authorization to transit the waterway. Under international law, however, no single country can unilaterally restrict passage through a natural strait.

The number of non-Iranian oil tankers passing through the strait reached a monthly record of 418 in October, meaning attacks have risen alongside increased traffic.

Lloyd's List said shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is recovering but has not returned to normal, and assessed that the risk of further deliberate attacks remains high.

Meanwhile, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have continued their campaign against Saudi Arabia. The Houthis claimed Friday that they fired two ballistic missiles at a Saudi military troop concentration in Jizan Province in southwestern Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters and other reports.

Jizan Province is home to an Aramco refinery capable of processing 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

The Houthis also claimed Friday that they struck Saudi Arabia's east-west oil pipeline, oil facilities and an Aramco installation in the capital Riyadh. Saudi authorities have not commented, and actual damage has not been confirmed.