People have been scouring the strait of Hormuz for spilt cargo after Iran attacked at least 15 container ships traversing the crucial waterway in the past 10 days. Some ships have been hit by drones, others by mines. On Sunday, a ship was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade launched from a small boat 120km (75 miles) north-east of the Saudi port of Jubail.
The rise in Iranian attacks appears to have helped resolidify Tehran’s disputed control over the strait, as well as pushing up the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil close to $108 a barrel on Monday morning. Last Wednesday a ship travelling from Karachi to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates sunk after hitting a mine, according to Iranian state TV. All 21 crew members were evacuated and no injuries were reported.
Dozens of its 2,500 containers were seen floating in the water. Rumours that iPhones and other expensive goods were among its cargo – fuelled by fake AI-generated photos published on social media – prompted fishers and others to investigate. One fisher told an Iranian reporter: “The Arab boatmen, who were closer to the ship, arrived earlier than the Iranians.
They used stonecutters to cut the container and took whatever was there.” Col Javad Mokhtar Rezaei, the deputy head of cultural and social affairs for Iran’s cyber police (Fata), told the Tasnim news agency: “In some cases, the phones offered may actually exist, but exposing electronic components to saltwater and extreme humidity can cause corrosion of internal components, damage to the boards, battery and display, and cause hidden malfunctions in the device’s performance.” Meysam Doost-Mohammadi, a spokesperson for the Iranian mobile association, said it would be unusual for valuable phones to be transported by ship. The bulk of the recent spate of attacks have occurred close to the coast with Oman, a route that Iran regards as unauthorised. In the seven days to Friday 16 October, 12 vessels were attacked, according to the UK Maritime Agency (UKMTO).
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has the right to attack any ship that seeks to traverse the strait without its permission or with its transponders off. The officials have also ordered local fishers not to pillage the sea for luxury items, saying the goods are the property of the state. Two oil tankers were hit on Saturday, including a supertanker carrying 2m barrels of oil, according to the IRGC.
The Fars news agency also published a video that appears to show the tanker burning, but which cannot be independently verified. A third tanker was hit late Sunday. It is disputed how many ships have been hit by mines or IRGC shelling.
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