Islamic Revolutionary Guard forces expanded their interdiction campaign in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, claiming that a series of boardings and mine strikes hit commercial shipping south of the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC stated that four oil tankers were destroyed after hitting naval mines in a restricted zone, while two other ships were detained. Additionally, Tehran claimed to have shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone over the waterway at 4:30 a.m., marking the 56th such drone it says it has destroyed.
The surge in activity follows a Wall Street Journal report that Iran has turned to guerrilla-style tactics, including limpet mines and underwater drones, to disrupt oil shipments and pressure the Trump administration. The instability has impacted regional trade, with Kpler data showing that oil flows through the strait last week averaged 7.8M bpd, or 45% of prewar levels. While the IRGC says 11 tankers have been burned or sunk since Oct 25, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported nine vessel attacks in the same window.
