Iranian strikes on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have surged recently, with four tankers coming under attack in the last day and around two dozen vessels reported hit in the last two weeks. This makes October the worst period for shipping since the opening weeks of the war. 

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Two ships were struck by projectiles on Friday, and two supertankers reportedly struck mines on Saturday. According to the official Iranian news agency IRNA, the IRGC Navy said Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz was “closed.”  

Also on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country had transmitted to the U.S. government a plan to reopen the Strait. “Through Qatar, we have conveyed a concrete seven-day plan,” Araghchi said in remarks delivered at a regional forum in Iraq. “If the necessary conditions are met, the Strait can be reopened and normal maritime passage restored within seven days. The choice now rests with the United States.”

AAA reports that the average price of regular gasoline in the United States is $4.31 per gallon, and the average price of diesel is $6.33 per gallon.