The Washington Institute Launches Enhanced Map Tracking Attacks on Middle East Shipping
Mar 3, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C., - With tankers avoiding the Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic, The Washington Institute today launches an enhanced version of its “Maritime Attacks in the MENA Region” map.
This timely enhanced tool for policymakers, journalists, and government officials tracks maritime-security incidents in strategic Middle East waterways from 2017 onward, revealing both the full scope of the Iran-backed Houthi militia’s campaign against global shipping and Iran’s own efforts to harass and attack vessels in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and other nearby waters.
Built by Washington Institute Senior Fellows Noam Raydan and Farzin Nadimi, the interactive map provides critical context for this tense moment. The U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have prompted renewed threats from Tehran and its allies to commercial shipping, and the map enables policymakers, analysts, and journalists to track patterns of maritime aggression across the region.
This unique resource vividly documents how Houthi forces, their Iranian patrons, and other actors have targeted key sea lanes for years, well before the Gaza war that erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israel. By placing today’s threats within the Islamic Republic’s broader operational history, the map serves as a practical tool for understanding how the maritime domain may be used in the current crisis and in future periods of escalation.
Map entries include details on the weapons used in each attack, vessel ownership and flag, and geopolitical context. First published in January 2024 as an ArcGIS StoryMap, the map has been used by government agencies, the private sector, and media outlets including The Wall Street Journal. The expanded version documents more than 290 confirmed shipping attacks, including incidents from 2017-18, and features advanced search and filtering capabilities.
Media Contact: Rehana Paul, 202-230-9550, email.
About The Washington Institute: The Institute is an independent, nonpartisan research institution funded exclusively by U.S. citizens that seeks to advance a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East and to promote the policies that secure them. Drawing on the research of its fellows and the experience of its policy practitioners, the Institute promotes informed debate and scholarly research on U.S. policy in the region.