Ship attack reports near Hormuz reach record high as oil exports slow
Twelve ships in a week is a coordinated pressure campaign. For decades we've treated Hormuz as a given, a reliable chokepoint that oil tankers just transit. But this data from the UK Maritime Trade Operations shows how quickly that assumption can crack. The slowdown in oil exports reflects the physical risk of moving through a strait where a single drone or mine can change the math for everyone. I'd want to know which vessels were targeted and whether the attacks are aimed at tankers carrying specific flags or cargoes. The record high is a reminder that our civilization runs on assumptions about stable geography. When those assumptions break, the ripple effects hit fuel prices in places far from the Persian Gulf. This looks like a new normal, an emerging pattern that's reshaping the region. The interesting part for me is how the maritime insurance industry responds, because that's where the real cost gets quantified. If insurers start pricing in a higher risk premium for every transit, that's a de facto tax on global energy. And that story will unfold in boardrooms, not on the water.