Geopolitics · Friday, 9 October 2026
Iran's tanker strikes push past the Strait of Hormuz, officials warn of a wider war

The UK's maritime monitor reported several projectiles hit the Antigua-flagged tanker Acers north of Qatar on Wednesday, the first such attack in that stretch of water in over six months, while a second tanker, the Dhalgout, caught fire off Fujairah the next day under circumstances still unclear. Iran's acting defence minister, Majid Ebn ol-Reza, warned on social media that "the distance between you and us is determined by our missiles," naming the Gulf of Oman, the Indian Ocean and Cuba as places the war could spread. The Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries a fifth of world oil and gas shipments, has been effectively closed since Iran and the US imposed rival naval blockades in February.