Iran Claims Seven Tankers Struck in Strait of Hormuz in a Day, Warns US Bases of Retaliation

Iran has claimed that seven oil tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz in a single day, in what would be the heaviest one-day toll on shipping in the waterway since the United States and Israel began their war against Iran on 28 February. Washington has pushed back hard, with President Donald Trump dismissing the claims as "fake" and accusing Tehran of trying to drive up oil prices ahead of the US midterm elections.

Main News Report

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said on Thursday (22 October) that four vessels involved in what it described as illegal oil transfers in the northern Persian Gulf had caught fire after being struck simultaneously by its forces on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The IRGC added that three other vessels had been disabled after striking naval mines west of the Strait of Hormuz.

The claims could not be independently verified, and no details were given about possible casualties or the flags of the vessels, Al Jazeera reported. If verified, the seven hits would mark the largest single-day number of vessels damaged in the strait since the war began.

• Four vessels: struck while transferring oil in the northern Persian Gulf, caught fire overnight.
• Three vessels: disabled after hitting naval mines west of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the IRGC.
• Warning: the IRGC said continued US facilitation of tanker transit could extend the conflict to American bases in the region.

Background Context

The latest claim follows a rapid escalation of attacks on shipping in the strait this month. Just a day earlier, a supertanker caught fire after striking a sea mine south of the Strait of Hormuz, and days before that the IRGC claimed its naval mines had halted two oil tankers in the same waterway.

Tehran has sought to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, restricting passage in a bid to gain leverage over Washington. Before the war, the waterway carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade. Iran has also warned that seven undersea internet cables in the strait are "new targets" if the US renews strikes.

Reactions and Statements

The IRGC issued a direct warning to Washington in a statement on its Sepah News website: "The US military must know that if this trend continues, the conflict will extend to its bases in the region. This is a serious warning," Al Jazeera reported.

President Donald Trump dismissed Iran's account on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, writing: "Iran is doing everything they can to drive up the price of oil prior to the US Midterm Election." He added: "They are making up fake hits, mines, and everything else because more oil is coming through the Hormuz Strait now than it did even prior to the beginning of the conflict."

A US Central Command spokesperson, speaking anonymously to Al Jazeera, called Iran's mine claims incorrect, saying US forces had cleared international shipping lanes of mines and that Iran was using missiles and drones instead. The spokesperson said the strait remained open with 95 per cent of vessels getting through, and described the attacks as a sign of Tehran's "desperation" under the US blockade.

Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters earlier this month that Iran's military was deploying new tactics against ships in the strait as part of an effort to keep oil prices high and influence the US midterms.

Analysts say the tempo of attacks is itself the message. "The aim is to hit as much as they can and make sure that they keep the southern route appear very unsafe and keep the risks very high," Noam Raydan, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told a Lloyd's List forum in New York, USNI News reported.

Why This News Matters

For Pakistan, what happens in the Strait of Hormuz is not distant news. The country imports the bulk of its oil through sea lanes that pass through or near the strait, so a sustained disruption would mean higher import bills and pressure on domestic fuel prices — a burden that falls directly on households and businesses already coping with inflation.

October has already been the worst month of the war for shipping. The International Maritime Organization recorded 27 attacks on commercial ships in the first three weeks of October, the highest monthly figure since the war began, USNI News reported, citing IMO data. With 104 non-Iranian-linked vessels still transiting the strait between 5 and 11 October, the waterway remains open but increasingly dangerous — a combination that raises insurance and freight costs for every barrel that moves through it.

Pakistanis working in Gulf states would also feel the fallout of any wider escalation, alongside the hit to remittance flows and regional job security.

Future Developments

All eyes are now on whether Washington will step up naval escorts for tankers through other parts of the strait — the exact move the IRGC says would trigger strikes on US bases across the Middle East. Independent verification of the seven-tanker claim may come from maritime tracking firms or insurers in the coming days.

Diplomacy remains stalled: Tehran has ruled out talks with Washington until its demands are met, even as Pakistan continues mediation efforts between the two sides. With US midterm elections days away and pressure mounting over fuel prices, the next move in the strait could set the course for the war's most dangerous phase yet.

Sources

• Al Jazeera — Iran says seven ships hit in Hormuz Strait, warns US of wider response
• Reuters via Haaretz — Iran says it struck four vessels in Gulf, warns US of broader response
• USNI News — October marks highest number of Strait of Hormuz attacks

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