Attacks on ships near Hormuz hit weekly high as oil flow slows

The number of ships reporting attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz has reached a weekly record, according to BBC Verify analysis of data from the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency. Twelve vessels were struck between 5 and 11 October, the highest weekly total since the US‑Israeli conflict with Iran began. The previous week saw ten ships report attacks.

Six of those vessels were hit on Sunday alone, a one‑day high according to UKMTO. So far this week four attacks have been reported.

As attack frequency rises, the recovery in oil shipments seen last month has slowed, industry data suggests.

BBC Verify compiled incident reports from the UKMTO website and built a timeline using the first date mentioned in each report, noting that some entries cite the attack date while others use the reporting date.

Experts say Tehran