Deciphering the increase in the number of attacks on oil tankers in October The market has set a price for risk When will one of these attacks lead to a major oil spill? In October 2026, attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz broke the record and reached a peak. However, the rise in daily rates to more than $1 million and heavy regional oil discounts have made shipowners continue to accept the risk of entering Persian Gulf waters with the motivation of high profits. The strategy of spot attacks, rather than completely blocking the waterway, is to increase the cost of passage and gain political influence before the US elections. Hitting less than four percent of the super fleet shows that the calculated pressure is working; However, a miscalculation in these dangerous waters could create an uncontrollable crisis. At the same time as the growing tensions, China, as the largest buyer of Iranian oil, accelerated the increase in gas production and the development of strategic reserves. This approach means Beijing's effort to reduce dependence on and resilience to energy shocks, which could weaken the impact of Tehran's regional pressures in the long run. Analysts suggest three possible scenarios: a reduction in attacks after the US elections, the normalization of war conditions and the creation of a sustainable risk economy, or the occurrence of a catastrophic environmental accident. In the third scenario, with the explosion of the insurance and the unacceptable risk involved, the entry of oil tankers into the Strait of Hormuz will actually be stopped. The consequences of these tensions include the fleet going to the repair shop, the reduction of oil revenues of the Persian Gulf countries and the blind pricing of insurers. The continuation of the atmosphere of insecurity created new stakeholders and turned the Strait of Hormuz into a financial market for risk trading, and the end of the war may not be in the interest of all its operators. The world of economics full text website yes Instagram.