Iran’s IRGC Says 4 Ships Hit, Set Ablaze in Gulf; 3 Others Strike Mines Near Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions

Tehran: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has claimed that it struck and set fire to four ships carrying oil cargoes in the northern Persian Gulf, while three other vessels collided with mines in the western Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state media, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

In a statement issued on Thursday, the IRGC Navy said the four ships had previously crossed an “illegal route” despite warnings to the maritime companies operating them. “Following previous warnings to the offending maritime companies, who had been deceived by the invading US military and had crossed illegal routes, Navy fighters, by observing and pursuing four offending ships, which had previously crossed the illegal route, discovered them transferring oil cargoes in the middle of the northern Persian Gulf, where all four ships were hit simultaneously and caught fire,” the statement said, as reported by IRIB.

The IRGC Navy also claimed that three other vessels had struck mines in the western Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night and were stopped. The statement came amid heightened tensions over maritime movement through the strategically important waterway, through which a significant share of global oil shipments passes.

Reiterating its control over the strait, the IRGC Navy said its personnel continued to manage maritime movement with the support of the Iranian public. “With this enormous national support, the IRGC Navy sailors continue to manage and control the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said.

The Iranian force also blamed the United States for the reported maritime incidents, accusing Washington of encouraging vessels to navigate through "illegally mined passage". "The insistence of the arrogant US regime on inciting ships to pass through the illegally mined passage has increased maritime incidents day by day," the statement said.

Issuing a warning to Washington, the IRGC Navy said the confrontation could expand if the situation continued. "The aggressive US army should know that if this trend continues, the scope of the confrontation will be extended to the aggressive bases in the region. This is a serious warning," it added.

The statement did not identify the vessels involved or provide details about their ownership, the extent of the reported damage or any casualties. The claim of strikes on the ships came as US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) said that the United States is not negotiating with Iran and "something" will happen "fairly soon." 

Speaking to American news network NewsNation 's White House correspondent Libbey Dean, Trump was asked about developments in negotiations with Tehran; Trump initially acknowledged some activity but indicated that the outcome remained uncertain. “A little bit, but we'll see what happens,” Trump said when asked whether negotiations with Iran were ongoing.

Asked whether he was done negotiating with the Iranian government, Trump said, “No, I think we're not negotiating...we are going to have something, one way or the other. It'll happen fairly soon.” In the interview, Trump also highlighted the situation between Washington and Tehran as "a little conflict against Iran" and said the United States was performing well on both military and economic fronts.

"I think our sanctions ended the real deal over there. But we're doing very well militarily and financially against Iran," he said. Trump did not specify what action or development he expected to take place “fairly soon” or provide a definitive timeline for the next steps in the US approach towards Iran. 

All the developments come amid the report by The New York Times that the United States and Israel have drawn up plans for renewed strikes on Iran after the American midterm elections, while Tehran has threatened to unveil a weapon it calls the "father of all bombs" amid escalating tensions in West Asia.

According to The New York Times, the US and Israeli militaries have developed specific plans for a short but intensive operation targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone arsenal. Citing US officials and other people briefed on the deliberations, the report said the two militaries have stepped up exercises, including flying aircraft over Iraq to practise strike manoeuvres.

Amid the possibility of renewed strikes, Iran has warned that it would respond to any renewed military action. According to Iranian state-affiliated media outlet Student News Network (SNN), IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said, “The United States has the ‘Mother of All Bombs.’ We will show them the ‘Father of All Bombs,’ and it will definitely be something new for them.”

But Tehran has not provided details about the weapon or clarified what the threat entails. The warning follows reports that US President Donald Trump has considered using the 22,000-pound GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), known as the "Mother of All Bombs", against Iran’s deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility. 

According to The New York Times, the United States is assembling a substantial military force expected to be fully in place by early November, including three aircraft carriers, thousands of Marines, fighter jets and Special Operations forces. Officials have cited political considerations, including Trump’s earlier pledge not to strike Iran before the midterm elections, as reasons the operation could be delayed.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, has highlighted the situation as a major challenge for Tehran. In an address to the Iranian Parliament, Pezeshkian said, “The memorandum of understanding we signed was very good; we hadn't given anything. The current situation is neither good for us, nor for the region, nor for the world.”

He added, “We are in a super-challenge, not a challenge. America didn't think we would stand firm despite the pressure and war, but we stood firm, and we will continue to stand firm.” The New York Times report said Washington was seeking to use the prospect of renewed military action as leverage in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme and control over the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iranian negotiators have resisted making concessions on the nuclear issue, insisting that the matter be deferred until later in the talks. As military preparations and diplomatic efforts continue, the possibility of renewed strikes has raised concerns about a wider regional conflict, with uncertainty persisting over Trump’s final decision and Iran’s potential response. 

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