Iran's guerrilla war against the world's strongest army - fishing boats and mines

Despite US claims of clearing shipping lanes, Iran continues its naval guerrilla war in the Strait of Hormuz using fishing boats and mines. October recorded a record of over 35 incidents, and in November at least five ships were hit. Oil traffic has dropped by 45% and shipping costs have quintupled.

Despite US claims of clearing shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran continues its naval guerrilla war using fishing boats, mines, and suicide vessels. Data from the British Maritime Trade Center shows that October recorded a record of over 35 incidents since the outbreak of the war, and in November at least five ships were hit. Last Friday, a small boat approached a tanker north of Oman and attached two charges to its hull, causing a fire in the engine room. Since most of the Iranian navy has been sunk and radar systems destroyed, Tehran has shifted to relying on human observers operating from civilian fishing boats. Oil traffic through the straits has dropped to about 7.8 million barrels per day, about 45% of its pre-war volume, and shipping costs from the Gulf to Asia have quintupled to about $37 per barrel.