"A chess game"... Tehran changes its methods of targeting ships via Hormuz

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Two senior Iranian officials claimed that Iran is using new methods to target ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, in an effort to keep oil prices high and influence the US midterm elections.

However, they refused to provide details about the new strategy. But one of them said that Tehran began about ten days ago to use various attack methods against ships that it considers to be violating its restrictions, adding that this led to an increase in attacks on those ships, according to what was reported by Reuters.

The two officials said that the strategy included a change in the type and frequency of attacks, noting that one of its goals was to influence the outcome of the American elections.

As one official stated, “The goal is to thwart efforts by the United States and its allies to reduce global oil prices.”

In addition, the two officials explained that the decision to use the new strategy was taken at the highest levels of Iranian leadership, and was fully coordinated in various corners of the country’s ruling regime.

The second Iranian official stated that Tehran would not allow Trump to reduce oil prices before the November elections. “When they think they are approaching the point where prices will fall, we will push them away from it,” he said. “It is a chess game.”

He added, "Such ships will not be safe anywhere, even outside Hormuz."

“When they think they are getting close to the point where prices will fall, we will push them away from it... It is a chess game

Meanwhile, an American military official, who requested to remain anonymous, confirmed that Iran has changed its methods in a fundamental way, as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard began using unarmed observers on small boats to monitor potential targets, including US Navy ships, after the United States destroyed most of Iran’s radar capabilities.

The official also added that, in a previously undisclosed incident that occurred last week, the US military monitored Iranian observers working from a sailboat and informing the Revolutionary Guard of the targets. He pointed out that the American forces confronted the boat and ordered those on board to leave it and then destroyed it, without causing any human casualties.

He also stressed that Iran, which does not want to risk its remaining speedboats, was unable to prevent the increase in oil exports through the Strait, especially after US strikes destroyed its naval forces.

This information came as the war, and its monthly cost of three billion dollars, became a major focus of the American campaigns for the midterm elections scheduled for next November, which will determine the party controlling Congress.

While US President Donald Trump announced that he was studying the next steps against Iran, but he said that he would not launch another attack before the elections.

At the same time, the United States continues to impose a naval blockade on Iranian ports while expanding sanctions, in an attempt to increase economic pressure on Tehran to reach an agreement that ends the conflict.

The tension over the Strait of Hormuz has made global energy markets vulnerable to further turmoil, as the risks of attacks and high shipping and insurance costs complicate efforts to return shipping traffic to normal levels.

While independent data showed an increase in attacks over the past few days on commercial ships that are still crossing the Strait to their highest levels since the start of the war. An analysis of data from sources in the maritime security sector and incidents announced by the British Maritime Trade Operations Authority revealed that the area surrounding the Strait of Hormuz witnessed during the past forty-eight hours no less than five incidents involving tankers and other commercial ships, including attacks by drones.

It is noteworthy that Iranian threats and attacks since the outbreak of the conflict have severely reduced shipping traffic through the strait, which pushed oil prices to rise, despite the continued transit of some oil shipments.