UKMTO reported that on Oct. 29 a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by a
small boat using explosives that damaged the vessel's engine room. The explosive
detonated above the waterline; there were no injuries. The blast ignited a fire
that temporarily disabled the tanker, which later resumed sailing. UKMTO said
this was the first small-boat attack of its kind in the current conflict; Iran
has used similar tactics previously. The device was described as an
adhesive/limpet-style sea mine typically affixed near the waterline or hull. A
U.S. official earlier this week said no ships transiting the strait had struck
floating sea mines. Iran has claimed limpet-mine attacks on its vessels in 2021
and 2024. Separately, a Liberia-flagged tanker off the Iraqi coast was found
with a suspicious object confirmed as an adhesive sea mine and removed by Iraqi
security forces.
