The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned on 22 October 2026 that the conflict would expand to US bases in the region if American forces keep escorting ships through Hormuz.
The Guards said four vessels in the northern Persian Gulf were struck on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, with fire breaking out aboard, and three more ships hit mines in the western strait.
Dozens of Israeli fighter and refuelling aircraft turned back before entering Iranian airspace, according to Axios, which cited unnamed officials. Israel's election is set for 27 October.
The State Department ordered non-essential staff and families to leave Saudi Arabia, and flights at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport remain suspended.
Brent futures rose 1.71% to $110.67 a barrel on Thursday morning, while WTI rose 1.42% to $98.53.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the elite branch of Iran's armed forces, threatened on Thursday, 22 October 2026, to widen its confrontation with the United States if American forces keep helping ships cross the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement published on its Sepah News website, the force said:
“The American army must know that if this trend continues, the conflict will expand to its bases in the region. This is a serious warning.”
Iran claims control of the waterway, through which one fifth of the world's hydrocarbons passed before the war broke out. Its forces regularly target vessels that try to cross without Tehran's permission. Washington has blockaded Iranian ports and its forces escort ships passing through Hormuz without Iranian consent.
The Guards said four vessels involved in what it called illegal oil transport in the northern Persian Gulf were struck simultaneously by its forces on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, and that fire broke out aboard them. It added that three other ships hit mines in the western part of the strait. Oil tankers are leaving the Gulf in growing numbers under American escort, yet Iranian attacks have intensified in recent days.
Dozens of Israeli fighter and refuelling aircraft flew toward Iran's border over Syria and Iraq earlier in the week, then turned back shortly before entering Iranian airspace, Axios reported, citing unnamed American and Israeli officials. Israel had told Washington in advance and described the flight as an exercise meant to deter an Iranian attack ahead of elections next week. Some American officials, according to Axios, suspect Israeli officials hoped Iran would open fire and give Israel a pretext to strike. The Financial Times reported that Benjamin Netanyahu sought to launch strikes on Iran earlier this month but met resistance from Donald Trump, who reportedly did not want hostilities resumed before the US midterm elections. Axios also reported that Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir told his US counterpart, Dan Caine, that a war before the Israeli vote could force its postponement. Zamir said on Tuesday the army would ensure the election takes place "without external interference".
Netanyahu faces a difficult battle for re-election, with the vote set for 27 October. At an election rally on Wednesday, he said Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, had ordered the building of a nuclear bomb, and that toppling the Iranian regime was the only way to stop the threat.
Three US officials said on Wednesday that the State Department was preparing to order some staff and family members out of American embassies across the Gulf, citing the possible resumption of hostilities, especially with the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. Staff at embassies in Qatar, Jordan and Bahrain were ordered to leave with their families, according to AFP. The embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert warning of further Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia after recent deadly strikes, including one on Riyadh airport. Flights at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remain suspended, while Jeddah and Dammam airports operate with delays and cancellations. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on X that the order applies only to Saudi Arabia, citing Houthi attacks on civilian targets.
Brent futures rose 1.71% to $110.67 a barrel on Thursday morning, and West Texas Intermediate gained 1.42% to $98.53, even as Gulf flows increased and the first cargo of Russian diesel reached the United States that day. The New York Times, citing unnamed US officials, reported that American and Israeli forces have drawn up plans to resume strikes on Iran after the November midterms, a "short but intense" operation. The State Department also ordered non-essential government staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia.
Data from the article text
David Wagner, equity chief at Aptus Capital Advisors, told CNBC that oil at $100 weighs less on the economy than it did 20 or 30 years ago. He said prices remain well below their historical highs in purchasing-power terms.
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Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said the conflict would widen to American bases in the region if US forces keep escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude traded at $110.67 a barrel on Thursday morning, 22 October 2026.
AI text based on reports by in.gr, H Kαθημερινή, iefimerida.gr and other publishers. Published .