DUBAI, October 22 (Aalimi Nation) – Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Thursday that its navy had struck four oil-carrying vessels in the northern Persian Gulf and that three more ships had hit mines west of the Strait of Hormuz, and warned that continued US "provocations" could widen the confrontation to American bases in the region. The US military disputes the Guard's account, and none of the claims has been independently verified.
Strait of Hormuz incident: what the Guard says
The Guard's navy said the four vessels were engaged in what it called illegal ship-to-ship oil transfers and were hit simultaneously after being tracked by its forces. It said all four caught fire. The three other ships, it said, struck naval mines overnight west of the Strait of Hormuz, caught fire and were brought to a halt.
The Guard accused Washington of encouraging commercial vessels to use a passage it described as mined, saying this was driving a rise in maritime accidents. It said that if the United States persisted with this approach, Iran could extend its response to US military bases across the region.
No casualty figures, vessel names or flag states were given. If the claims are confirmed, it would be the largest number of vessels damaged in the waterway in a single day since the conflict began.
US military rejects the mine claim
US Central Command has repeatedly rejected the Guard's mine narrative. A spokesman said earlier that Iranian claims of tankers hitting naval mines in the strait were "false", adding that the waterways had been cleared of mines. The command says ships have instead been hit by Iranian missiles and drones. It had not publicly responded to Thursday's specific claims at the time of writing.
The Guard has previously reported tanker mine incidents on October 12, 17, 19 and 21, and the pace of such reports has quickened.
Trump rules out talks
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump told reporters after a rally in South Carolina that his administration was not negotiating with Iran and that "something one way or the other" would happen "fairly soon". He said Tehran would "never have a nuclear weapon".
A report in the US press has said American and Israeli military planners have drawn up options for renewed strikes on Iran after the November 3 midterm elections. A White House official said the administration does not comment on military plans "that may or may not exist". It remains unclear whether Mr Trump would approve any such plan.
Background
The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting oil and liquefied natural gas shipments and pushing prices higher worldwide. A memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, reached in June through mediation by Pakistan and Qatar, has stalled, with navigation through the strait among the unresolved issues.
Diplomacy continues in parallel. Pakistan's army chief has just concluded mediation talks in Tehran, and a US envoy is in Russia for discussions that include the Iran file. Qatar and France said on Thursday that the strait should be reopened. Shipping companies and insurers will be watching closely for any US response to the Guard's latest warning.
