The Strait of Hormuz tanker attacks escalated sharply this week after Iran said seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged overnight in the strategic waterway. Iranian state television reported on Thursday that the vessels were hit by Iranian forces or struck naval mines, a claim that could not be independently verified, according to the Associated Press.
According to Iranian state media, four tankers caught fire while transferring oil and three more were disabled after striking underwater mines. The report, attributed to the navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, gave no vessel names, casualty figures or precise positions. The Associated Press said it could not confirm the claims, and the British monitoring service UK Maritime Trade Operations has not reported the seven incidents.
IRGC Threatens US Bases and Undersea Cables
The IRGC navy warned it could strike US military bases in the region if Washington keeps guiding commercial ships through routes Tehran considers unauthorized. Iranian media also reported threats to undersea cables crossing the strait. Iran still asserts control over the waterway, which officials in Tehran describe as central leverage in any talks with the United States over the war.
October has already seen the most reported attacks on commercial shipping since March, according to UKMTO, which has noted growing reluctance by some shippers to report incidents. Oil producers have found ways to keep crude flowing, experts say, but at a mounting cost.
Elections Add Pressure to an Already Volatile Region
The reported attacks come days before Israel’s October 27 election, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could lose power, and ahead of next month’s US midterm elections, where war-linked high prices have angered voters. “Netanyahu wants to attack Iran, that’s not even a question,” Danny Citrinowicz, a researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told the Associated Press.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that Tehran remains open to diplomacy but is ready to defend itself, and mediators are working to bring Washington and Tehran back to formal talks. The United States, for its part, is sending more military assets to the region, including a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops.
