Tankers Come Under Fire as US Strikes Cargo Ship Near Iran

Commercial shipping faced renewed attacks across the Middle East on October 10 and 11, 2026, as two tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz and US forces disabled a cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman. The incidents involved unidentified projectiles and a US military operation targeting a ship accused of violating Washington's naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that an outbound tanker was hit on its port side at approximately 1920 UTC on Saturday, October 10. The impact triggered a fire, but the crew was reported safe. Authorities had not established the extent of the damage or any environmental consequences.

A second tanker was struck on its port side on Sunday, October 11, according to a report from the vessel's company security officer to UKMTO. The ship sustained damage, but its crew remained safe, and no environmental impact was reported. Neither tanker was identified, and UKMTO did not assign responsibility for either attack.

The latest incidents followed other attacks on merchant vessels in nearby waters. On Friday, a projectile struck the Panama-flagged crude carrier GEM NO.2 while it was anchored approximately 13 nautical miles west of Al Jazeera in the United Arab Emirates. The attack caused a fire that was subsequently extinguished.

Two days earlier, another tanker had been hit by multiple projectiles off Qatar. The incidents have extended concerns about commercial shipping security beyond the Strait of Hormuz into surrounding waters.

Iran has increased attacks and threats against commercial vessels in recent weeks, particularly ships attempting to navigate routes through the Strait of Hormuz that Iranian authorities have not authorized.

Separately, US Central Command said American forces struck the Panama-flagged cargo vessel Ocean Molica, also known as Arika Sun, in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday. A US fighter jet hit the vessel's stern after its crew ignored repeated warnings and attempted to breach the US naval blockade of Iran.

CENTCOM said the precision strike disabled the ship's propulsion system without injuring its crew. The vessel had previously departed an Iranian port, according to the command.

The incident marked the fourth commercial vessel disabled since US forces resumed their blockade of Iranian ports on July 14, CENTCOM said. During the same period, US forces had turned around 135 commercial ships and destroyed 10 tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' shadow fleet network.

Washington's blockade aims to prevent maritime trade with Iran, while US officials maintain that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to international shipping. Vessels navigating the region face risks from attacks and intimidation attributed to Iran, as well as interception and disabling strikes by US forces against ships associated with Iranian ports.

UKMTO also issued two additional advisories on Saturday. Several shipmasters near Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates reported receiving VHF radio broadcasts instructing them to leave their anchorages. A separate advisory described an incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Gulf of Oman, without providing further details.

UKMTO did not establish whether the Gulf of Oman incident was connected to the strike on Ocean Molica.

The US-led Joint Maritime Information Center warned on Thursday that attacks against commercial shipping had become more frequent. The center called for crews to increase vigilance and for the shipping industry to strengthen monitoring of maritime security threats.