Iran Spotter Boats Back Ship Attacks Ahead of US Midterms

Iran – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – Iran spotter boats are now playing a bigger part in the tension around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a US military official. These small, unarmed vessels help Iran’s Revolutionary Guard find ships to target.

The shift comes after US strikes wiped out much of Iran’s radar network. Without it, the Guard needed another way to see what was moving through the narrow waterway.

Their answer was simple. Spotters sit in small boats, watch the traffic and pass details on to commanders.

A Dhow Was Destroyed Last Week

The US official described one case that has not been reported before. Last week, American forces found that spotters were working from a dhow, a traditional wooden boat, and calling in targets for the Guard.

US troops approached the vessel and told the crew to leave. Once they had, the boat was destroyed. The official said nobody was hurt.

Iran Says the Plan Is About Oil and Votes

Two senior Iranian officials also spoke to Reuters about a wider change in strategy. They said Iran began using different attack methods about ten days ago against ships it says break its rules.

They gave no details, but said both the type and the speed of the attacks have changed. One goal, they said, is to affect the result of the US midterm elections in November.

One official said Iran wants to block American efforts to bring oil prices down. The other compared the situation to a game of chess and said Iran will push prices up again whenever they seem close to falling.

The officials said the top leadership approved the plan and the whole ruling system backs it.

Data from maritime security sources backs up the claim that something has changed. At least five incidents involving tankers and other commercial ships were recorded in the past 48 hours, some of them drone strikes.

That is close to the rate seen on October 3 to 5. One security source said the jump in strikes looks deliberate.

Iran also plans to widen its reach beyond the strait, the officials said. That means the Gulf of Oman and waters farther away.

Early signs of this may already be visible. Reports show ships being targeted off the coasts of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. One Iranian official warned that such ships would be safe nowhere.

Both officials said Iran is heading toward a point where no ship that breaks its rules can pass. One of them said a full closure will come soon.

What the US Is Doing

Before the war, about one fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas moved through this route. Since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, traffic has dropped sharply.

Washington is keeping up a naval blockade of Iranian ports and adding new sanctions. It hopes the pressure will push Tehran toward a deal. President Donald Trump has said he will not attack again before the election.

The war costs about 3 billion dollars a month, which has made it a major topic on the campaign trail.

The US-led Joint Maritime Information Centre still rates the threat to merchant ships as severe, its second-highest level. It reported continued Guard activity, including drone flights and watching of ships.