Reuters: Iran shifts tactics to intensify shipping attacks before U.S. midterms and keep oil prices high

Iran has adopted new tactics to increase attacks on ships around the Strait of Hormuz as it seeks to keep global oil prices elevated and influence the U.S. midterm elections, two senior Iranian officials told Reuters.

One official said Iran began using different offensive methods against vessels it considers to be violating its restrictions about 10 days ago, increasing both the pace and type of attacks. The decision was taken at the highest levels of Iran’s leadership, the officials said.

The strategy also involves expanding operations beyond the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman and waters near Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. One Iranian official said the aim was to frustrate U.S. efforts to bring down oil prices before the November vote.

A U.S. military official said the IRGC has also begun using unarmed spotters in small boats to identify potential targets, including U.S. naval vessels, after U.S. strikes destroyed much of Iran’s radar capability.

At least five maritime incidents involving tankers and other commercial ships were recorded around Hormuz in the past 48 hours, according to Reuters’ analysis of maritime security data. The U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center continues to rate the threat to merchant shipping in the strait as “severe.”