Iran says seven oil tankers were set ablaze or hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz
Iranian state television, citing the Revolutionary Guard navy, said four tankers caught fire after being targeted while transferring oil and three were immobilised by naval mines overnight. If confirmed, it would be the most vessels damaged in a single day since the war began on 28 February. Brent crude rose above $111.
Iran’s state television reported on Thursday, 22 October, that seven oil tankers were damaged overnight in the Strait of Hormuz, AP reported. Citing a statement by the navy of the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), it said four tankers caught fire after being targeted while transferring oil, and three were damaged and immobilised after hitting naval mines.
The report gave no details about casualties or the tankers’ flags, and the claims could not be independently verified. If confirmed, AP said, it would be the largest number of vessels damaged in the waterway in a single day since the start of the war on 28 February, when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran.
Warning to Washington
The Iranian statement also warned that the Revolutionary Guard could target US bases in the region if the United States tried to let tankers pass through other parts of the strait, AP and Al-Monitor reported. The IRGC has repeatedly struck US bases in Gulf countries during the war.
Market impact
Oil prices jumped on the report. Brent crude rose about 2.8% to nearly $112 a barrel, close to a five-month high, Reuters reported, adding that further Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia had also fuelled fears of supply disruption. World shares and US stock futures fell, according to AP.
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