Follow-Up: Iran Says Seven Oil Tankers Caught Fire or Were Damaged Overnight Near Strait of Hormuz; IRGC Warns Response Could Extend to U.S. Bases
Iranian state television reported on October 22, citing a statement by the navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), that seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged overnight in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC said four of the tankers were tracked and hit while transferring oil in the northern Persian Gulf and caught fire, while three others struck naval mines west of the Strait of Hormuz, were damaged and left immobilised.
According to the Associated Press, if the Iranian account is verified, it would be the largest single-day number of vessels damaged in the waterway since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran and the Iran war began. Iran gave no details on possible casualties and did not identify the tankers' flags. In its statement, the IRGC warned that if the United States continues trying to move tankers through what it called "illegal passages" in the strait, its response could expand to include U.S. military bases in the region. Since the war began, the IRGC has repeatedly targeted U.S. bases in Gulf countries.
The development is the latest escalation in the strait's tanker attacks. GSM previously reported that Iran said on October 20 that two tankers hit mines and caught fire in the strait while a third was struck by a projectile and abandoned by its crew; on October 21, Pakistan's army chief travelled to Tehran to mediate without a breakthrough, Iran set conditions including lifting the blockade and sanctions, and U.S. Central Command denied the tanker mine claim.
According to the Associated Press, the United States is sending more military assets to the region and mediators are still trying to bring Washington and Tehran back to talks; Iran proposed ending the conflict if the U.S. met certain conditions, which President Donald Trump rejected, though discussions have continued. As of publication, the United States had not independently confirmed the claim that seven tankers were damaged.
The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a key global energy shipping route, carrying roughly a fifth of the world's oil shipments. According to Reuters, after the news broke, U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 1.54% to $99.10 a barrel.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 美国海军护卫舰护航一艘油轮通过霍尔木兹海峡（资料图）。照片：美国海军，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / A U.S. Navy frigate escorts an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz (file photo). Photo: U.S. Navy, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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