On July 13 and 14, 2026, Iranian forces launched cruise missile strikes against two UAE-flagged supertankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The vessels, identified as the Mombasa and the Al Bahiyah, were hit while passing through one of the most consequential stretches of water on the planet. One Indian crew member was killed. Eight others were injured.
That same operation also targeted US military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. Tehran framed the attacks as retaliation for prior American strikes on Iranian positions, including targets near Bandar Abbas. The ceasefire that had briefly interrupted the broader 2026 Iran conflict collapsed before these strikes.
Why the Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most expensive chokepoint
Roughly 20% of global oil shipments move through the Strait of Hormuz. Any sustained disruption to tanker traffic there does not stay local for long. It reaches refineries in Asia, fuel prices in Europe, and eventually, every market that prices risk against oil.
The Gulf Cooperation Council has formally condemned the attacks, calling them violations of international navigation norms. Kuwait’s government issued its own separate condemnation.
