IRGC reports four tankers hit in Strait of Hormuz as Ghalibaf cites US vote

Oil markets face renewed volatility as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Wednesday that naval mines destroyed four oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The military statement followed US strikes on Iran reported by American officials on Tuesday.

Tasnim news agency, citing the IRGC, reported that two of the vessels remain on fire while two others have been seized. The force stated the tankers attempted to traverse a prohibited route in the southern section of the waterway. The BBC noted it has not independently verified these specific claims.

Earlier on Tuesday, the IRGC reported the destruction of three tankers by mines and the downing of an MQ-9 drone over the strait. These events followed US strikes on Qeshm Island, which Iranian forces said were a response to previous IRGC fire targeting a US aircraft.

The military escalation coincided with Republican losses in the US midterm elections. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator, posted on X that Americans rejected the conflict due to living costs or conscience. He warned Washington against ignoring this public sentiment and threatened consequences if it did.

President Donald Trump acknowledged on Tuesday that the war and rising petrol prices contributed to poor performance by Republican congressional candidates. He told CBS News he did not regret starting the conflict and said it would end when he decides. In a separate Fox News interview, Trump reiterated that Iran would never possess a nuclear weapon.

Negotiations to end the conflict, which began with joint US-Israeli strikes in February, have stalled after months of deadlock. Ghalibaf addressed parliament on Tuesday, stating Iran would not surrender and placing responsibility for preventing war on Washington. He warned that another US strategic error would expand the battlefield.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that his government sought resolution through dialogue and that renewed fighting benefits no one. Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz and says reopening depends on US acceptance of its peace demands. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated this week that Iran’s seven-step proposal could be executed within two days if Washington agreed.