Iran claims four tankers destroyed in Strait of Hormuz

The war in the Middle East has tightened its grip on global energy supplies. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on Wednesday, November 4, that naval mines destroyed four oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

The IRGC stated that two of the vessels remained on fire while the force seized the other two. The military said the ships attempted to cross a prohibited route in the southern section of the waterway. The BBC has not independently verified the damage to the tankers.

This escalation followed US strikes on Qeshm Island on Tuesday. The IRGC reported that mines also destroyed three tankers early Tuesday and that its forces downed an MQ-9 drone. US forces had launched the strikes after the IRGC fired at a US aircraft.

The conflict coincides with economic pressure at home in the United States. President Donald Trump acknowledged on Tuesday that the war and rising petrol prices hurt Republican midterm results. Speaking to CBS News, he said he did not regret starting the conflict and claimed it would end when he decides.

Negotiations to end the war, which began with joint US-Israeli strikes in February, have stalled. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told lawmakers on Tuesday that Iran would not surrender. He placed the responsibility for preventing war on Washington and warned that another strategic mistake would change the battlefield.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that his government sought a dialogue-based resolution. He noted that renewed fighting benefits no one. Iran shut the strait after the attack and says reopening depends on US acceptance of its peace demands.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said this week that Iran condensed its seven-step proposal. He stated the plan could be executed within two days if Washington agreed.