In October, 37 ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, the most since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. In total, since the end of February, the International Maritime Organization has confirmed 130 incidents in the area, resulting in the death of at least 25 sailors. At the same time, on Tuesday, oil prices fell to their lowest level in two months amid expectations of de-escalation and more conciliatory rhetoric from US President Donald Trump.