Iran is changing how it targets commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to intensify shipping disruptions and frustrate U.S. efforts to lower oil prices before November's midterm elections, Reuters reported, citing senior Iranian officials.
The officials said the frequency and nature of attacks had changed, with more vessels attempting to cross the waterway being targeted. They declined to describe the new methods, but a U.S. official told Reuters that Tehran had begun deploying unarmed spotters in small boats to identify potential targets.
The reported shift comes as President Donald Trump rules out new attacks on Iran before the Nov. 3 elections while maintaining a blockade. It also highlights the continuing threat to shipping despite Washington's assertion that it controls the strait and that oil is moving through it in substantial volumes.
Recent incidents have added to those concerns. The Nicaragua-flagged Petro Dolphin was struck by a drone Sunday, Iran International reported, while two other vessels were reportedly hit during the weekend.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced Friday that it would expand its pursuit of ships that did not follow routes approved by Tehran. Its statement said enforcement would extend beyond the strait and "throughout the entire region," warning that "its punishment will be definitive."
Those threats suggest that vessels could face Iranian action outside the immediate waterway. The reporting does not establish how extensively the new tactics have been deployed or quantify their effect on shipping traffic.
Trump offered a different account of conditions Thursday, saying the United States was engaged in "productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran." He said the blockade would remain in place and claimed that 22 million barrels of oil had passed through Hormuz the previous night, with none originating in or bound for Iran.
The president also stated that "we will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd." His shipping figures were presented as his assessment rather than independently verified traffic data.
Military preparations have nevertheless continued, according to separate reporting. Axios said the Pentagon had directed U.S. Central Command to complete preparations for a potential renewed campaign after discussions involving Trump and his national security team.
Sources familiar with the planning told Axios that renewed operations could involve extensive bombing of Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear targets. The preparations do not themselves establish that Trump has authorized another campaign.
A White House official responding to the reports argued that Washington held the advantage because of its position in Hormuz and Iran's economic deterioration. "Iran has been decimated, and things will go one of two ways: the easy way or the hard way," the official said.
Tehran has also discussed widening the conflict if major U.S. attacks resume. The Wall Street Journal reported that Iranian officials had raised the possibility of sending ground troops into neighboring countries, without identifying potential destinations.
