Iran shifts tactics to escalate shipping attacks in Strait of Hormuz ahead of US vote

Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Iran is deploying new tactics to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to keep oil prices elevated and influence the US midterm elections. The claim is sourced to Iranian officials and not independently verified; the shift represents an escalation in Iran's maritime pressure campaign. This matters because it threatens global oil supply chokepoint stability and could inject geopolitical risk into energy markets ahead of the US vote.