Strait of Hormuz: Iran Says Four Tankers Hit Mines as US-Iran Tensions Rise

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is again at the centre of regional tension. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that four oil tankers were destroyed after hitting naval mines and were still burning. The claim, carried by Iranian state television, has not been independently verified in the source material.

Hormuz incident and Iran's claims

The IRGC said the vessels were "non-compliant" and had tried to use a passage south of the strait that Tehran describes as prohibited. It added that two other ships or vessels had been halted, and that a drone had been shot down over the waterway.

Tehran claims control over Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies. Since the war began, it has targeted vessels that try to cross without its authorisation.

The announcement followed a statement by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday that American forces had carried out strikes on Iran. US media had earlier reported a raid on Qeshm, the largest island in the strait.

Washington and Tehran trade warnings

Trump told the Financial Times that the US seemed to be getting what it wanted. He said American forces were "locked and loaded" if action were needed, but suggested there might be no reason for it. He also played down speculation that bombing would resume once the US midterm elections were over.

Iranian officials struck a mixed tone:

• Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's chief negotiator, said the country was ready for battle with its "finger on the trigger".
• Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran kept the right to legitimate self-defence after the strikes.
• President Masoud Pezeshkian said the government was still seeking a solution through dialogue and that no one would benefit if the war reignited. He added that the supreme leader had recently given the government new powers to negotiate issues that were previously off-limits.

Talks between the two sides are described as stalled. US officials reportedly said strike plans could be ready from Wednesday. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has leaned towards a large attack after the midterms but has not decided. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper has reportedly briefed him on options, including a short, intense campaign.

Air-defence build-up reports

Much of the speculation about an imminent US move rests on flight-tracking data and open-source accounts, and Washington has not confirmed any attack plan. Reports say at least 10 US military cargo aircraft landed at the Ovda and Nevatim air bases in southern Israel, many from Fort Bliss, Texas. The same pattern was reportedly seen before the previous strike on Iran. The Wall Street Journal also reported that a Patriot battery is being sent from Texas.

The reinforcements are widely read as preparation for possible Iranian ballistic missile retaliation. Tracker accounts also claim that northern Israeli towns have opened public shelters and that Iran is repositioning launchers in the west of the country. However, the Israeli outlet Walla reported no unusual rise in US aircraft arrivals over the past week. Flight data does not show what the aircraft carried, and claims of a "second wave" of six more planes could not be confirmed.

Wider regional developments

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted three drones aimed at Saudi territory. Spokesman Turki Al Maliki said one was destroyed over the Mecca region, another in the Eastern Province, and a third was heading towards the southern region. Yemen's Houthi group said it had launched drone and ballistic missile attacks on an airport and an airbase in south-western Saudi Arabia.

Separately, the US Embassy in Yemen accused the Houthis of killing Mohammed Al Shami, a UN Human Rights Office staff member, while he was in detention. It said he was denied contact with his family and that his body was kept in a morgue in Sana'a for months while the group claimed he was alive. The embassy called for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN, diplomatic and humanitarian staff.

The decision on whether to resume military action or pursue diplomacy rests with Trump, according to the reports.