Iran says mines destroyed four tankers near Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that four oil tankers were destroyed after hitting naval mines on a route it calls prohibited, south of the Strait of Hormuz. It said the ships were still burning and that two other vessels had been seized, Reuters reported. The BBC said it has not independently verified the claims. The statement came as Washington weighed new strikes on Iran and the war was being blamed for Republican losses in Tuesday's US midterm elections.bbc.com+1

What the Guards claimed

"Four non-compliant oil tankers attempting to pass through the prohibited passage south of the Strait of Hormuz were destroyed after striking naval mines and are still burning," the Guards said in a statement quoted by Iranian state TV, according to AFP via Gulf News. The statement also said "two other non-compliant ships or vessels have also been halted." The IRGC did not name any of the six vessels. It also said it had shot down an MQ-9 drone over the strait, EconoTimes reported, citing Iran's official IRNA news agency.gulfnews.com+1

This is the latest in a run of similar claims. The IRGC said on Sunday that two tankers had hit Iranian mines while traveling on what it called "an unauthorized route" with their navigation systems switched off, the Jerusalem Post reported. The BBC said the Guards had also reported three tankers sinking after hitting mines earlier in the week. Tehran claims control over Hormuz and has targeted ships crossing without its permission since the war began, according to AFP.members.jpost.com+2

Strikes and midterm fallout

The claims came a day after President Donald Trump said the United States had carried out strikes on Iran, following reports of a raid on Qeshm, the largest island in the strait, AFP reported. In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump said "we have to do something large," which could involve a "heavy hit." He also said the war was "a part of" his party's midterm defeat, Gulf News reported. The Wall Street Journal ↘ 11.35% reported that US strike plans were ready from as early as Wednesday, but that no final decision had been made.nampa.org+1

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator, wrote on X: "Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message." President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran was trying to resolve the crisis "through dialogue" and warned that "no one will benefit from this war," the BBC reported.bbc.com

Talks to end the war have been stalled for months. The war began with US-Israeli strikes in February. Iran has closed the strait and says it will only reopen it if the US accepts its seven-step peace proposal. Iran's foreign ministry said the plan could be carried out within two days if Washington agrees, according to the BBC.bbc.com