# Hormuz Shipping Risk: Pricing Gulf Port Call Work > Attacks on shipping near Hormuz continue into November 2026. How chandlers, bunker suppliers and agents should price Gulf risk, quote stems and plan deliveries. URL: https://vesselreach.si/blog/hormuz-shipping-risk-pricing-gulf-port-call-work | Published: 2026-11-02 | Industry news | Topic: Carrier service and surcharge changes ## At a glance - **What: What happened to shipping near Hormuz in early November 2026?** A tanker was hit off Saudi Arabia and an offshore tug was struck in Hormuz on 1 November 2026, continuing a series of attacks on shipping in the region. ([Seatrade Maritime News](https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/security/tanker-hit-off-saudi-and-offshore-tug-struck-in-hormuz)) - **Who: Which vessels have been attacked near the Strait of Hormuz?** A tanker 11 nautical miles off Bukha in Oman, a tug near the strait, and the LNG carrier Al Mayeda, which was attacked despite having negotiated safe passage with Iran. ([gCaptain](https://gcaptain.com/pakistan-lng-cargo-attacked-near-hormuz-had-iranian-approval/)) - **Where: Where did the October tanker attack take place?** The tanker was struck 11 nautical miles, about 20 kilometres, off the town of Bukha in Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, and came to anchor with all crew safe. ([Hellenic Shipping News](https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/ship-attacked-near-strait-of-hormuz-maritime-agency/)) - **When: When did the latest incidents occur?** The tanker hit off Saudi Arabia and the tug struck in Hormuz both occurred on 1 November 2026, the first day of the month, according to Seatrade Maritime News. ([Seatrade Maritime News](https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/security/tanker-hit-off-saudi-and-offshore-tug-struck-in-hormuz)) - **Why: Why is the Hormuz risk expected to persist?** The US–Iran conflict, now eight months old, is described as a stalemate with no end in sight, so attacks on shipping have continued without a clear resolution. ([The Maritime Executive](https://maritime-executive.com/article/neither-peace-nor-war)) - **How: How is the risk changing crude procurement?** Indian state refiners are increasingly seeking crude on a delivered, or CIF, basis rather than FOB as geopolitical tension drives sharp swings in freight and insurance costs, petroleum ministry officials and refiners said. ([Hellenic Shipping News](https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/indian-refiners-favor-delivered-crude-in-procurement-shift-as-shipping-costs-mount-2/)) Shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz remains exposed to attack, and the risk now extends to every vessel type calling Gulf ports. On 1 November 2026 a tanker was hit off Saudi Arabia and an offshore tug was struck in Hormuz, according to [Seatrade Maritime News](https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/security/tanker-hit-off-saudi-and-offshore-tug-struck-in-hormuz). For chandlers, bunker suppliers, agents and repair yards, the commercial question is how to price and plan work in a risk zone that is not closing. ## What happened in the first days of November Two incidents on 1 November continued a pattern that began earlier in October. A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 11 nautical miles off Bukha in Oman, near the strait, and came to anchor with all crew safe, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported via [Hellenic Shipping News](https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/ship-attacked-near-strait-of-hormuz-maritime-agency/). A tug was also attacked near the strait in October, [The Maritime Executive](https://maritime-executive.com/article/tug-attacked-near-strait-of-hormuz) reported, showing that small craft and offshore units are targets too. The LNG carrier Al Mayeda was attacked near Hormuz even though Pakistan had negotiated safe passage with Iran before the voyage, [gCaptain](https://gcaptain.com/pakistan-lng-cargo-attacked-near-hormuz-had-iranian-approval/) reported on 1 November 2026. A negotiated approval did not protect the ship, which matters for any supplier relying on a customer's assurance that a passage is cleared. ## Why the risk is not going away soon [The Maritime Executive](https://maritime-executive.com/article/neither-peace-nor-war) describes the US–Iran conflict, now eight months old, as a stalemate with no end in sight. A Reuters investigation also uncovered a network of accounts and companies used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, [The Maritime Executive](https://maritime-executive.com/article/new-investigation-uncovers-iranian-smuggling-network) reported, which adds compliance checks to the operational ones. Academic work explains why the disruption spreads beyond the strait itself. A 2025 study in the International Journal of Humanities Education and Social Sciences found that the Strait of Hormuz, 55 to 95 kilometres wide, carries a high density of maritime traffic and has seen recurring security disturbances including tanker attacks, with geopolitical tension between Iran, the United States and Gulf states shaping the risk ([IJHESS](https://doi.org/10.55227/ijhess.v4i6.1351)). A 2020 study in IEEE Access used AIS data to model a crude oil transport network and found that network topology affects how well it absorbs and recovers from disruption ([IEEE Access](https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2020.3028214)). ## The commercial effect on Gulf service providers Freight and insurance costs are already moving procurement behaviour. Indian state refiners are shifting toward delivered, or CIF, crude purchases instead of FOB as geopolitical tension drives sharp swings in freight and insurance, [Hellenic Shipping News](https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/indian-refiners-favor-delivered-crude-in-procurement-shift-as-shipping-costs-mount-2/) reported on 26 October 2026. When the buyer of the cargo controls the shipping, the party that books the agent, orders the bunkers and pays for hold cleaning can change with the trade term. - **Bunker suppliers:** a stem quoted against a fixed ETA can lose its margin when the vessel waits at anchor or reroutes. Build a re-quote trigger into the confirmation and check the buyer's credit before the barge is ordered. - **Ship chandlers:** fresh provisions and bonded stores have a shelf life. A vessel held at anchor for days needs a delivery plan that can be rescheduled without writing off the order. - **[Port agents](https://vesselreach.si/blog/baltic-sea-shipping-risk-work-for-port-suppliers):** the PDA (pro forma disbursement account, the agent's estimate of port costs before the call) should separate war-risk-related items from standard port charges so the owner can see what changed. - **Repair yards and marine service companies:** a casualty or a tug with hull damage generates urgent work, but attendance in a risk area needs its own insurance and travel plan before a team is sent. ## How to quote and plan a Gulf port call now 1. Check the latest UKMTO and industry security notices for the specific port and approach before confirming any attendance date. 2. Ask the technical or purchasing superintendent which trade term governs the call, because CIF and FOB shift who pays for which service. 3. Quote with a validity window short enough to reflect current freight and insurance, and state what happens if the ETA moves. 4. Confirm the beneficial owner and the paying party against sanctions and ownership records before the job is booked, as covered in [who you quote and who you bill when sanctions apply](https://vesselreach.si/blog/ship-agent-sanctions-who-you-quote-who-you-bill). 5. Keep a rescheduling clause for deliveries and crew changes if the vessel is held at anchor. The war-risk element of a Gulf quote is discussed in more detail in [how war risk premium affects a Gulf port call quote](https://vesselreach.si/blog/war-risk-premium-and-your-gulf-port-call-quote), and the wider effect of the conflict on the region is set out in [what Gulf port suppliers should read on the Iran blockade](https://vesselreach.si/blog/iran-blockade-what-gulf-port-suppliers-should-read). ## How VesselReach helps VesselReach turns vessel movements at your chosen Gulf ports into named opportunities before the ship arrives, so a supplier can prepare a quote while there is still time to check the risk and the buyer. - **Vessel intelligence and expected arrivals:** see vessels near your ports and those scheduled to arrive, which means you can start the credit and trade-term check days before the ETA. - **AI company targeting and decision-maker discovery:** VesselReach identifies the company behind each vessel and the operations, chartering or procurement roles to approach, which means your quote reaches the party that actually pays. - **Multichannel outreach with automated follow-ups:** email, WhatsApp and phone outreach with staged follow-ups, which means a rescheduled call does not drop out of your pipeline. Book a VesselReach demo to see the workflow on the ports you cover, and test it during the 10-day free trial offered after the meeting. ## Frequently asked questions ### Are the November 2026 Hormuz attacks affecting all vessel types? Yes. On 1 November 2026 a tanker was hit off Saudi Arabia and an offshore tug was struck in Hormuz, according to Seatrade Maritime News. Earlier in October a tug was also attacked near the strait, showing that small and offshore units are targets as well as tankers. ([Seatrade Maritime News](https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/security/tanker-hit-off-saudi-and-offshore-tug-struck-in-hormuz)) ### Does a safe-passage approval from Iran protect a vessel near Hormuz? Not reliably. The LNG carrier Al Mayeda was attacked near Hormuz even though Pakistan had negotiated safe passage with Iran before the voyage, gCaptain reported on 1 November 2026. Suppliers should not treat a customer's approval as a guarantee of safe transit. ([gCaptain](https://gcaptain.com/pakistan-lng-cargo-attacked-near-hormuz-had-iranian-approval/)) ### How should a bunker supplier handle a stem when the vessel may wait at anchor? Quote with a short validity window and a re-quote trigger if the ETA moves, and check the buyer's credit before ordering the barge. Indian refiners are already shifting to CIF crude because freight and insurance costs are swinging, which can change who pays for the stem. ([Hellenic Shipping News](https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/indian-refiners-favor-delivered-crude-in-procurement-shift-as-shipping-costs-mount-2/)) ### What should a port agent show separately in a Gulf PDA? War-risk-related items should be separated from standard port charges so the owner can see what changed. The PDA is the pro forma disbursement account, the agent's estimate of port costs before the call, and a clearer split reduces disputes when the vessel is delayed. ### How can a maritime supplier find Gulf port call opportunities before the vessel arrives? VesselReach shows vessels near your selected ports and expected arrivals, identifies the company behind each vessel and the relevant decision-makers, then runs staged email, WhatsApp and phone outreach with follow-ups. That gives you time to check the risk, the trade term and the buyer's credit before the ETA. ## Sources 1. [Pakistan LNG Cargo Attacked Near Hormuz Had Iranian Approval](https://gcaptain.com/pakistan-lng-cargo-attacked-near-hormuz-had-iranian-approval/), gCaptain, 2026-11-02 2. [Tanker hit off Saudi and offshore tug struck in Hormuz](https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/security/tanker-hit-off-saudi-and-offshore-tug-struck-in-hormuz), Seatrade Maritime News, 2026-11-02 3. [Indian refiners favor delivered crude in procurement shift as shipping costs mount](https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/indian-refiners-favor-delivered-crude-in-procurement-shift-as-shipping-costs-mount-2/), Hellenic Shipping News, 2026-11-01 4. [New Investigation Uncovers Iranian Smuggling Network](https://maritime-executive.com/article/new-investigation-uncovers-iranian-smuggling-network), The Maritime Executive, 2026-11-01 5. [Neither Peace Nor War](https://maritime-executive.com/article/neither-peace-nor-war), The Maritime Executive, 2026-11-01 6. [Ship attacked near Strait of Hormuz: maritime agency](https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/ship-attacked-near-strait-of-hormuz-maritime-agency/), Hellenic Shipping News, 2026-10-21 7. [Tug Attacked Near Strait of Hormuz](https://maritime-executive.com/article/tug-attacked-near-strait-of-hormuz), The Maritime Executive, 2026-10-19 8. [Assessment of the Resilience of a Complex Network for Crude Oil Transportation on the Maritime Silk Road](https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2020.3028214), IEEE Access, 2020-01-01 9. [Geopolitical Dynamics of Maritime Security in the Strait of Hormuz](https://doi.org/10.55227/ijhess.v4i6.1351), International Journal Of Humanities Education and Social Sciences (IJHESS), 2025-06-15 ## More on this topic Hormuz shipping risk is no longer a single incident to report but a standing condition for anyone quoting Gulf port call work. Attacks on a tanker off Saudi Arabia and a tug in the strait on 1 November 2026, plus the earlier strike on the LNG carrier Al Mayeda despite negotiated passage, show the risk reaches every vessel type. Because freight and insurance are swinging, Indian refiners are moving to CIF crude, which can change who books the agent and orders the bunkers. Suppliers should shorten quote validity, separate war-risk items in the PDA, check the paying party and keep a rescheduling clause for deliveries. --- VesselReach, built by CatalystIQ. CatalystIQ Data Classification and Analysis Services, Al Qusais, Dubai, P.O. Box 129882, United Arab Emirates. info@catalystiq.ae, +971 58 599 7894. Book a demo: https://vesselreach.si/#demo. Pricing: contact us for a quote (https://vesselreach.si/pricing).