Iran Vows to Target US-Backed Oil Shuttle System in Strait of Hormuz
- Iranian authorities intend to disrupt an Arab-operated and United States-assisted oil shuttle system that has enabled energy exports through the Strait of Hormuz during the ongoing conflict involving...
- Rezaei claimed that United States Central Command, with assistance from the United Arab Emirates military, has been utilizing smaller vessels to transfer oil onto larger tankers.
- You are smuggling, but the strait is under Iran’s control, and we manage it.
Iranian authorities intend to disrupt an Arab-operated and United States-assisted oil shuttle system that has enabled energy exports through the Strait of Hormuz during the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, Al Jazeera reported. The strategic waterway, which handled roughly a fifth of global oil and gas prior to the war, has been largely closed to commercial shipping following Iranian attacks that began on February 28, 2026. Despite a US naval blockade and tightening sanctions, the US Navy opened an alternative shipping route to help Gulf states export oil and other commodities amid a severe regional energy crisis.
Mohsen Rezaei Targets the US-UAE Shuttle System
Rezaei claimed that United States Central Command, with assistance from the United Arab Emirates military, has been utilizing smaller vessels to transfer oil onto larger tankers. He asserted that Iran had been striking five or six participating vessels nightly for weeks, adding that the strait remains under Iranian control.
You are smuggling, but the strait is under Iran’s control, and we manage it.
Mohsen Rezaei
Rezaei also issued direct warnings toward regional Arab states regarding digital infrastructure. He threatened US-linked cables, data centers, and artificial intelligence facilities located in the United Arab Emirates and around the Strait of Hormuz. He accused Saudi Arabia of helping the United States bypass Iranian export restrictions, though he stopped short of threatening a direct military attack against Riyadh.
Windward Data Details Surging Freight Costs and Tanker Attacks
Maritime intelligence data from Windward shows that 31 ships transited the Strait of Hormuz daily in the final week of September 2026, down significantly from 138 ships per day before the war. Eighty-seven percent of the 45 ships targeted by Iran during the third quarter of 2026 were tankers. Approximately 47 percent of those targeted vessels belonged to Gulf Arab energy companies, and 93 percent of the strikes occurred inside the Strait of Hormuz.
Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a London-based senior maritime intelligence analyst at Windward, noted that Oman has permitted vessels to pass under international maritime law utilizing US military assistance. However, the operational risks have driven freight costs drastically higher. Freight now accounts for 25 to 30 percent of Gulf crude costs, compared with just 1 to 3 percent before the conflict. National oil companies have responded by offering discounts of up to $35 per barrel below official selling prices.
Escalating Vessel Strikes and Sea Mines in October
Attacks have increasingly targeted the shuttle system outside the immediate boundaries of the Strait of Hormuz. At least 15 ships have been targeted in October alone, according to Windward figures.
Simultaneously, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that naval mines planted across the Strait of Hormuz pose severe hazards to uncoordinated vessels. The IRGC claimed that three tankers sustained major damage over the weekend after striking mines, though independent verification of those specific detonations remains limited.
Hamidreza Azizi Assesses Tehran Economic Calculus
Iran maintains that the United States has accepted some of Tehran’s seven conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending hostilities. However, Tehran insists that no comprehensive deal will materialize until all its demands are fully met. Hamidreza Azizi, a senior Iran analyst at the Crisis Group, indicated that Tehran believes it faces no immediate pressure to negotiate because its disruption of the strait carries global economic consequences.
The question, however, is whether Tehran is overestimating its ability to sustain this pressure, given the growing economic costs of the confrontation for Iran itself.
Hamidreza Azizi
Between 15 and 20 percent of very large crude carriers remain tied up in the inefficient shuttle transfer logistics system, compounding global freight pressures. It remains unconfirmed whether diplomatic channels can bridge the gap between Tehran’s seven reopening conditions and Washington’s enforcement of the naval blockade as attacks on the southern export corridor continue.