13 October 2026.

Situation

The Strait of Hormuz remains the center of intensifying maritime violence. gCaptain reports five more ships have been hit near the strait in the latest reporting window, and gCaptain separately reports that six commercial vessels were struck in a single day on October 11, including five tankers and a container ship. Middle East Eye reports a tanker hit in the strait, reported on October 12, citing UKMTO. These developments follow a sustained pattern documented in the site's background: more than one vessel struck per day since late September, reported on October 12, with the rate of attacks showing no sign of abating. Brent crude stood at $105.94 as of 00:10 UTC, up 2.52% over 24 hours. IMF PortWatch recorded 4 transits on October 4; the pre-crisis baseline was 85 per day. On the diplomatic track, MarineLink reports Iran is weighing the US response as Hormuz reopening talks stall, and The Diplomatic Insight reports Iran is reviewing US negotiation proposals as the dispute continues; the parties to those talks are Iran and the United States. Hellenic Shipping News reports Iran's top security official has called the US stance insufficient. India has entered the public record on crew safety: Deccan Herald reports two merchant vessels carrying 22 Indian nationals were attacked in the strait, with two crew members missing, and India has condemned the strikes. Sixty countries have backed an EU declaration opposing fees on shipping via straits, per India Today. The feed indexed 100 headlines in the past 24 hours. As of 00:22 UTC, 154 AIS-visible vessels were holding position away from berth in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf watch box, a count that leaves out ships within 25km of a working port. On the Hormuz Index, Crisis Pressure, the state composite, sits in the extreme band, with its value set by physical transit deviation alone; the Escalation Forecast sits in the high band, with the Brent-WTI forward spread as its top contributor.