Persian Gulf: Events Reported and What Satellites Show
What has been reported in the Persian Gulf — each event with how it was linked to the sea — and what satellites can show of it.
Quick answer — the Persian Gulf now
37 events were linked to the Persian Gulf in the last 30 days. 32 of them name the Persian Gulf in the reporting, 6 of those only as the subject of a statement, market move or explainer; the rest were only placed inside or near it. The Persian Gulf opens to the Gulf of Oman through the Strait of Hormuz, which EIA says carried about one-fifth of global LNG trade in 2024, mostly from Qatar. EIA’s October 2026 outlook assumes Middle East oil flows stay constrained through the end of 2026, with convoys through Hormuz and ship-to-ship transfers as workarounds.
What to watch from orbit
- Tanker traffic and convoys through the Strait of Hormuz with Sentinel-1 SAR ship detection
- Tanker presence at Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura ship terminal and container-ship activity at Jebel Ali in Dubai with SAR ship detection
- Gas-flare heat at Iranian and Iraqi oil and gas fields in VIIRS nighttime data — the sensor behind the World Bank’s flaring estimates, which list both among the nine largest flaring countries in 2024
Sources
Events reported in or near the Persian Gulf
The last 30 days, newest first, 20 of 37 shown. Titles summarise the reporting; they are not facts this page has checked.
- Trump signals possible US strikes on Iran or diplomatic deal as tensions escalateMilitary & Security Movementslast reported 26 Oct 2026Localizednamed as the location
- Two Supertankers Struck by Naval Mines in Hormozgan ProvinceKineticlast reported 24 Oct 2026Reportednamed as the location
- Iran's armed forces threaten to block U.S. warships from the Persian GulfDiplomacylast reported 24 Oct 2026Localizednamed as the subject
- Iran threatens asymmetric war: US bases into ashes, stay away from HormuzKineticlast reported 23 Oct 2026Localizednamed as the subject
- Iran claims attack on seven oil tankers in Strait of Hormuz; US denies incidentKineticlast reported 23 Oct 2026Localizednamed as the location
- Iran threatens US bases in Gulf over fresh attacksKineticlast reported 23 Oct 2026Reportednamed as the location
- US Operation Economic Outcast renders Kharg Island oil terminal out of serviceDiplomacylast reported 23 Oct 2026Localizednamed as the location
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps mines strike seven vessels in the Persian GulfKineticlast reported 22 Oct 2026Localizednamed as the location
- IRGC claims attacks on seven vessels in Hormozgan ProvinceMaritimelast reported 22 Oct 2026Reportednamed as the location
- Persian Gulf oil exports exceed pre-war levels despite Iranian attacks on shippingMaritimelast reported 22 Oct 2026Reportednamed as the location
- Iran claims supertanker struck naval mine and caught fire in Strait of HormuzMaritimelast reported 17 Oct 2026Localizednearby
- Tanker damaged by rocket-propelled grenade off Al JubailMaritimelast reported 17 Oct 2026Reportednearby
- Effectiveness of the American naval blockade on Persian Gulf oil exportsMaritimelast reported 16 Oct 2026Reportednamed as the location
- Projectiles strike tanker off Qatar; Iran denies involvement in attacksMaritimelast reported 16 Oct 2026Localizednamed as the location
- Infrastructure in Persian Gulf countries hit 135 times during war, exposing US defense failures: ReportInfrastructurelast reported 15 Oct 2026Reportednamed as the location
- Deliberate Strikes on Persian Gulf InfrastructureInfrastructurelast reported 15 Oct 2026Reportednamed as the location
- Panama-flagged oil tanker struck by projectile in Strait of Hormuz, 12 crew injuredMaritimelast reported 13 Oct 2026Localizednamed as the location
- Iranian strikes hit tankers in the Strait of HormuzArmed Conflictlast reported 13 Oct 2026Reportednamed as the location
- Iran strikes commercial vessels in the Persian GulfMaritimelast reported 12 Oct 2026Reportednamed as the location
- Iran increases attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian GulfMaritimelast reported 12 Oct 2026Reportednamed as the target
Seeing it yourself
- The Sentinel-1 viewer shows the most recent free radar pass, through cloud and at night.
- Ship monitoring counts vessel-like targets in a radar scene over an area you draw.
- The straits at the edges of a sea have their own pages with ship-traffic checks, listed on Transit Anomalies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see live satellite images of the Persian Gulf?▼
No free source shows a sea live at a useful resolution. Free Sentinel-1 radar and Sentinel-2 optical imagery pass over a place every few days; radar works through cloud and at night, and ships show on it as bright points. Satellite pass prediction works out when a satellite can next image a part of the Persian Gulf.
Can satellites identify the ships in the Persian Gulf?▼
Not from free imagery alone. Radar ship detection finds vessel-like targets in a Sentinel-1 or NISAR scene and counts them, but a radar return does not carry a ship’s name or flag. Matching a target to a ship needs a tracking signal (AIS) or very high resolution imagery, which this page does not use.
What does “named as the location” or “nearby” mean on an event?▼
How the event was linked to the Persian Gulf. “Named as the location” and “named as the target” mean the reporting named this sea as where something happened or what was struck. “Named as the subject” means the reporting was about it but did not describe a physical event there — a statement, a market move or an explainer. “Nearby” means only that the event was placed inside or close to it — an association, not a statement that it happened at sea.
Are the event titles verified?▼
No. Each title summarises what the reporting said. The stage beside it says how precisely the place is established, and each event page lists the articles behind it.
Follow the Persian Gulf on the map
The Watchfloor shows these events on the map alongside the rest of the world’s events. Free to start.
From headline to satellite evidence
One connected intelligence workflow across four surfaces — free to start, no GIS software or remote-sensing background required.