More Tankers Attacked in Strait of Hormuz as Shipping Strikes Continue Despite Iran Truce Talk

More oil tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 10–11, 2026, as a new wave of strikes on shipping hit the world's most important oil waterway — even as President Donald Trump said the US-Iran war was "effectively over" and US-mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi ended with only a prisoner swap.

In short: A Barbados-flagged tanker was struck by a drone on Tuesday, an ADNOC vessel was damaged in a separate attack the same day, and on Wednesday morning Iran's army said another tanker hit a naval mine and caught fire in the eastern Strait. The vessel was identified as the Saudi-flagged tanker NCC Fajr. British maritime monitors confirmed the incidents but not all of Iran's claims, and oil prices rose on Wednesday as the attacks continued.

What Happened on Tuesday and Wednesday

The first confirmed strike came on Tuesday, November 10, at 13:38 UTC. The Barbados-flagged tanker SEA 1 was hit by an unmanned aerial vehicle — a drone — while making an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz, about 19 nautical miles northeast of Lima in Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency, which is run by the Royal Navy. UKMTO said the tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile, that all crew members were safe, and that the vessel continued toward its next port of call. The extent of any damage was not disclosed.

Later on Tuesday, ADNOC Logistics and Services confirmed that one of its vessels had sustained damage following an attack in UAE territorial waters in the Arabian Gulf. Response operations were ongoing, but the company did not disclose the identity of the vessel, the extent of the damage, the crew's status or any environmental impact. A maritime security alert from Greece-based Marisks said it had not been established whether the ADNOC incident and the tanker strike northeast of Lima involved different vessels or the same one.

On Wednesday morning, November 11, Iran's army said a tanker had caught fire after striking a naval mine in the eastern part of the strait, in an area Tehran described as unsafe and prohibited. "Early this morning, a violating oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in an unsafe, prohibited area in the east of the Strait of Hormuz," the army's naval forces said in a statement carried by Iranian state television. UKMTO issued a warning the same morning of a reported incident involving a tanker in the strait, but said the vessel's identity, the crew's status, the extent of damage and any environmental impact were unknown.

UK-based maritime security firm Vanguard Tech identified the vessel involved in the Wednesday incident as the Saudi Arabia-flagged tanker NCC Fajr, an 81,300-deadweight-tonne product tanker owned and commercially managed by Saudi Arabia's National Chemical Carriers Company and under operational management by the UAE's Bahri Shipmanagement. Vanguard described the incident as a "possible attack" and said the precise location and circumstances remained unconfirmed.

Maritime security firm Ambrey reported a further projectile strike on a merchant vessel about seven nautical miles northeast of Lima on Wednesday, November 11. The projectile reportedly struck the engine room, disabling the vessel. No injuries or pollution were reported.

What Iran Claims — and What Is Not Confirmed

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said in a separate statement on Tuesday that two tankers had caught fire after hitting naval mines on what Tehran calls an "unauthorized route" through the strait. Statements carried by the state-linked Fars News Agency claimed at least three tankers had exploded or caught fire in the eastern Strait of Hormuz, and alleged that some vessels had switched off their navigation and identification systems and were attempting to transit with US military assistance.

Those claims have not been independently verified. Iran has not named any of the ships, their flags or their crews in connection with the mine claims, and no independent party has confirmed that all of the incidents were caused by mines. What is independently confirmed is that UKMTO logged a drone or projectile strike on the SEA 1 on Tuesday with the crew safe, that ADNOC confirmed damage to one of its vessels, and that UKMTO logged a further incident on Wednesday involving a tanker later identified as the NCC Fajr.

A Wider Pattern: Attacks at Record Levels

The latest incidents are part of a sustained campaign against shipping in the Gulf since the US-Iran war began on February 28, 2026. According to data from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 37 ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters in October — the highest monthly total since the start of the war — and there have already been 10 attacks so far in November. The International Maritime Organization has confirmed 130 incidents, most of them attacks, in the region since the conflict began, with at least 25 seafarers killed.

Just three days earlier, on Sunday, November 8, four oil tankers were hit by mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, in an attack Iran also blamed on vessels using unauthorized routes. Videos verified by Reuters showed the Singapore-flagged tanker Navig8 Messi on fire near the coast of Oman, and oil from the damaged tankers has since reached Oman's shores.

The attacks have continued even as the diplomatic picture has shifted. On Monday, November 9, President Trump said after meeting Qatar's prime minister that the war with Iran was militarily "effectively over", while keeping the US naval blockade in place. Houthi missiles were intercepted over Riyadh for a second time in three days on Tuesday, and US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi ended on Wednesday with a prisoner swap but no breakthrough. "There has been an increase of vessel attacks in the Gulf shipping lanes amidst uncertainty of the diplomacy talks," June Goh, a senior analyst at Sparta Commodities, told Reuters.

Oil Prices Rise as Traders Weigh the Risk

Oil prices rose on Wednesday, November 11, from the previous session's two-month lows, as the market swung between hopes for de-escalation and concern about the attacks on shipping. Brent futures climbed $1.04, or 1.1%, to $92.53 a barrel at 0420 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude rose 67 cents, or 0.8%, to $86.71 a barrel, Reuters reported.

On Tuesday, oil had initially fallen by more than $3 a barrel after US officials downplayed the need for further military strikes against Iran, though some of the losses were clawed back after an Iranian security official said no talks were taking place between the two sides. Analysts at LSEG Oil Research said in a November 10 note that even if a deal is struck, more oil flowing through the waterway "would still depend on mine clearance, insurance costs and whether or not shipowners would even be willing to take the risk."

Separately on Wednesday, a regional governor said a drone attack caused a fire in the port area of Ust-Luga by the Baltic Sea in northwest Russia, injuring three workers — a reminder that the wider war's strikes on energy infrastructure are continuing on multiple fronts.

For now, the Strait of Hormuz — through which about a fifth of the world's oil consumption normally passes — remains the most dangerous shipping lane on earth, and the latest attacks show that neither the talk of a truce nor the end of the Abu Dhabi talks has slowed the campaign against tankers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on November 10-11, 2026?

The Barbados-flagged tanker SEA 1 was struck by a drone about 19 nautical miles northeast of Lima, Oman, on Tuesday, November 10, at 13:38 UTC; its crew was safe. ADNOC confirmed one of its vessels was damaged in a separate attack the same day. On Wednesday, November 11, a tanker identified as the Saudi-flagged NCC Fajr was involved in an incident in the eastern strait after Iran's army said it hit a naval mine and caught fire.

Was anyone hurt in the latest Hormuz tanker attacks?

No injuries have been reported in the confirmed incidents. UKMTO said all crew members aboard the SEA 1 were safe, and Ambrey reported no injuries from the Wednesday projectile strike near Lima. The crew status of the NCC Fajr and the ADNOC vessel has not been disclosed.

Did Iran really sink or burn three tankers with mines?

That is Iran's claim, not a confirmed fact. The IRGC Navy said two tankers caught fire after hitting naval mines on an "unauthorized route," and Fars News Agency claimed at least three tankers exploded or caught fire. No vessel names, flags or crews have been given for the mine claims, and no independent party has confirmed that mines caused all of the incidents.

How many ships have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz during the war?

According to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 37 ships were attacked in October 2026 — the highest monthly total since the US-Iran war began on February 28, 2026 — with 10 more attacks so far in November. The International Maritime Organization has confirmed 130 incidents, most of them attacks, in the region since the conflict began, with at least 25 seafarers killed.

Why are oil prices rising after the attacks?

Brent crude rose $1.04, or 1.1%, to $92.53 a barrel on Wednesday, November 11, after the attacks renewed fears about shipping through the strait, through which about a fifth of the world's oil consumption normally passes. Traders are weighing hopes for de-escalation against the risk that mine clearance, insurance costs and shipowner caution will keep flows restricted even if a deal is reached.

Is the Strait of Hormuz closed to shipping?

No. The strait remains open, but Iran has declared parts of it unsafe and prohibited, and the US naval blockade of Iranian ports continues. UKMTO has advised vessels transiting the strait to exercise caution and report suspicious activity while authorities investigate the latest incidents.

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