Iran accuses US of attacking fishing boats near Hormuz

Iranian officials accused the United States on Saturday, October 31, of attacking two fishing boats in the Strait of Hormuz off Qeshm Island. State broadcaster IRIB, citing a Hormozgan province official, said two fishermen were missing and one was wounded, according to Reuters. There was no immediate US confirmation, and the White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment, The Straits Times reported in a Reuters dispatch. Iranian state television later said the two missing men had been found, AFP reported via The Times of Israel.reuters.com+2

The accusation comes during a tense stretch of the eight-month war between Washington and Tehran, as mediators push for a settlement.

Iran's account of the incident

Ahmad Nafisi, deputy governor of Hormozgan province, said on state TV that "an attack by the American enemy occurred around 11:30 (0800 GMT) today on two fishing boats, each carrying two people, near Qeshm Island," L'Orient Today reported, citing AFP. Iran's state news agency IRNA said the boats were hit about 18 nautical miles off the village of Messen in Qeshm County. It said two crew members were brought ashore and one of them was hospitalized.today.lorientlejour.com+1

The semi-official Fars news agency described the attack as a strike by an "enemy" drone, Al Jazeera reported. Fars later said the two missing fishermen had been rescued after a search. Ali Eslami Ramchahi, head of Qeshm's fishing community, told IRNA that the missing men were a father and son, Mahmoud Panjeh and his son, and that both were safe. He said another crew member, Mehrzad Panjeh, had injuries to both legs. AFP said it had asked US Central Command for comment.timesofisrael.com+3

Rising tensions and diplomacy

The report came as Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ordered the armed forces to respond immediately and without "geographic limits to any enemy threat," according to The Express Tribune. One day earlier, US Central Command called "FALSE" an Iranian Revolutionary Guard claim that it had destroyed a US sea drone in the strait.tribune.com.pk+1

Diplomatic efforts are still underway. A spokesman for Pakistan's military told Reuters that Pakistan was "cautiously optimistic" about its mediation, but he warned of "powerful spoilers and detractors". President Donald Trump said on Friday that the war was "going to get wrapped up soon." He has also said the United States would not strike Iran before the November 3 midterm elections.investing.com