Iran shifting tactics to step up attacks on shipping before US vote, officials say
Iran is deploying new tactics to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz to keep oil prices high and influence the US midterm elections, according to two senior Iranian officials. The officials said Iran changed the type and pace of attacks about 10 days ago, and a US military official confirmed the IRGC has used unarmed spotters in small boats after the US destroyed much of Iran’s radar capabilities. Attacks on commercial ships in the strait have surged to their highest level since the war began, with at least five incidents in the past 48 hours, and Iranian officials said Tehran plans to expand operations beyond Hormuz and move toward complete closure.
Why it matters: The shift affects global energy markets and shipping through a chokepoint that carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the war.