Iran says four oil tankers were destroyed by naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz

Four tankers hit mines in the strait

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday, 4 November, that four oil tankers had been destroyed after hitting naval mines while trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz by a southern route that Tehran has prohibited. The force said the ships were still burning. Tasnim, a semi-official Iranian news agency, reported that two of them were still on fire, so accounts differ on how many vessels remain alight. The IRGC added that two more vessels had been stopped, without giving further details. The statement was carried by the state broadcaster IRIB.

Tankers destroyed, 4 November4

Vessels stopped, 4 November2

Tankers destroyed, early 3 November3

Tankers destroyed, 4 November

4

Vessels stopped, 4 November

2

Tankers destroyed, early 3 November

3

Data from the article text

Drone claim and an earlier incident

The Guards also said their air defences had shot down a drone over the strait, which Europa Press identified as a Predator MQ-9 belonging to the US Army. The BBC reported that the IRGC had earlier claimed three tankers were destroyed after hitting mines early on Tuesday, 3 November. The BBC said it had not independently verified the IRGC's claims. The Guards described all of these incidents as hard blows against the enemy.

US strikes on Qeshm

The Guards' announcement came a day after Trump said American forces had struck targets in Iran, following reports of an incursion on Qeshm, the largest island in the strait. TVP Info, citing AFP, said the strikes were carried out overnight from Monday to Tuesday. According to the BBC, the US strikes were a response to the IRGC firing on a US aircraft. The conflict began with joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, and since then Tehran has largely blocked the strait for shipping.

Midterms and Tehran's message

US voters punished Republicans in the midterm elections on Tuesday, 3 November. Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also parliamentary speaker, said the outcome showed Americans rejecting the war. In a post on X, he argued that the public had made its position clear and that Iran endorsed that message.

“whether it was conscience or the cost of living, Americans said no to war, and we endorse this message”

Trump acknowledged on Tuesday that the poor Republican results were partly due to the war and higher gas prices, but said he did not regret launching it. He told CBS News the conflict would end "when I say it ends".

Stalled talks and threats

Negotiations to end the conflict have been stalled for months, with little sign of a breakthrough. On Tuesday, Ghalibaf told a parliamentary session that Iran "will not surrender". Asked about Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks that another attack on Iran could come this week, Trump said US forces were "locked and loaded" but there might be no need. In an interview with the Financial Times before the midterms, he said he did not consider the situation to be really a war. On Tuesday night he told Fox News that some people would love to deliver a heavy hit on Iran.

On nuclear weapons, Trump said:

“The only thing I can tell you with certainty, they will never have a nuclear weapon.”

The strait and the blockade

Iran insists that only routes approved by its armed forces are safe for passage through Hormuz, a waterway that carries a large share of global oil and gas trade. The United States says it is not blocking the strait because it controls the passage militarily, a presence it limits to the outer part, where it escorts ships to keep oil exports flowing from the Middle East. NewsORF reports that Iran regularly attacks vessels attempting to pass without permission. In response, Washington has imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports.