Tehran2 Emirati cargo ships sank in 24 hours.
October is already one of the most violent months in the strait since the war began.
Iran is deliberately escalating strikes, Iranian officials say, to keep oil prices elevated before the 3 November US midterms.
Strait traffic averaged 4.1 ships a day in the week to 11 October, matching normal.
A Eurasia Group analyst says Washington promises action only after the midterms.
How each outlet framed it
- semafor.com leans critical
- ties Iran's Hormuz escalation to Trump's midterm timing, quoting analysts that US response is deferred until after November 3
Sources: semafor.com