Iran expands maritime attacks on commercial shipping, senior officials say

Two senior Iranian officials outlined a new strategy for targeting commercial vessels: increased frequency and expanded geographic range. The operational zone now extends to the Gulf of Oman and waters near Qatar and the UAE, beyond the Strait of Hormuz. Officials stated the goal is maintaining high oil prices ahead of U.S. November midterm elections. At least five shipping incidents occurred in the last 48 hours, Reuters reports.