Iran Claims Seven Ships Hit In Strait Of Hormuz

Seven ships took hits inside the Strait of Hormuz last night according to Iran, marking the worst single-day blow since fighting began on February 28 between Washington and Israel. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that four tankers caught fire while moving oil overnight, while a third group stumbled onto mines and lost power. They insist one-fifth of global oil supplies once flowed through this channel before war erupted there.

US officials pushed back hard against these claims, calling them an effort to drive up prices right before the American election season gets underway. The report offered no details on how many people might have been hurt or what national flags flew over the damaged vessels. Independent groups could not check the stories themselves as they spread quickly across news feeds.

If Washington tries to escort tankers through other sections of the strait, Tehran says it will target American bases in the Middle East next. The IRGC issued a clear message on its Sepah News website that continuing this pattern means conflict will reach US soil or outposts nearby. This is a serious warning delivered directly to military planners watching the situation unfold.

Ships trying to sail through the strait without permission face regular attacks. The US military has sent more escort vessels into the waterway recently. Iran answered this move by increasing its own strikes against shipping. President Donald Trump spoke on Thursday about these events. He claimed that Iran is doing everything it can to push up oil prices before the US Midterm Election. On his Truth Social platform, he wrote that they are making up fake hits and mines because more oil flows through the Hormuz Strait now than even before the conflict started. A spokesperson for US Central Command told Al Jazeera anonymously that these mine claims were incorrect. The official stated that American forces have cleared international shipping lanes of mines while Iran uses missiles and drones instead. The strait stays open with 95 percent of vessels getting through safely. This attack pattern shows Tehran's desperation under the US blockade, according to the spokesperson. The blockade cuts Iran off from resources needed to rebuild military capabilities that the US says it destroyed. Mohamed Vall reported from Tehran for Al Jazeera about the rising number of ships and tankers attacked every single day. He noted that Iran insists on continuing these attacks because they will not allow any change in that situation. Vall added that there is talk in Tehran about an imminent escalation in the war. Iranians expect a US attack even before the midterm elections in early November. The IRGC army chief boasted that Iran is more ready than anytime before now. He claimed they have produced enough weapons and equipment to wage a symmetrical war against the United States. Kimberly Halkett reported from the White House saying that striking Iran does not appear to serve any Republican interests. Pre-election polls tell the same story for Trump's political party as well. Surveys show most Americans want relief from their tax money going to pay for any potential war with Iran that is ramped up now. There is real frustration over rising costs for everyday Americans given the fuel prices that have occurred as a result of this conflict. As a result, the US president must make the case for continuing these actions. The pressure is on the president and it comes from within the Republican Party as well.