At least four commercial ships have been hit in the past 10 days as Tehran targets vessels transiting the Persian Gulf. A US official told the New York Times that Iran has carried out roughly 30 drone and 10 anti-ship missile attacks every week since the beginning of August, though most of the strikes have missed their targets. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps now openly claims it strikes the waterway every 24 hours and has taunted Washington for failing to respond.

The US is maintaining escort missions to protect oil tankers, though the operations are consuming limited availability of jets, helicopters, and flight crews. While a lack of a strong US response has helped maintain oil flows, Western security officials suggest the current dynamic allows Iran to set the rules of engagement for shipping in the strait.