The IRGC claims four oil tankers were destroyed by naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, while also reporting the downing of a US-made MQ-9 drone.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that four oil tankers were destroyed after striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the IRGC, the vessels were "non-compliant oil tankers attempting to pass through the prohibited passage south of the Strait of Hormuz" and were "still burning," according to reports from the Tasnim news agency and state television.
The IRGC reported that two additional vessels were seized or detained for violating shipping restrictions. Additionally, the IRGC's Aerospace Force claimed to have shot down a US-made MQ-9 drone over the strait at 4:30 a.m. local time (01:00 GMT) on Tuesday. The IRGC described this as the 56th such aircraft it had downed.
These developments follow reports of US military strikes on Iran, including a raid on Qeshm, the largest island in the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump described the operation as a limited strike targeting an Iranian anti-aircraft installation. The IRGC had previously stated that the US strikes on Qeshm were in response to the IRGC firing on a US aircraft.
The military escalation follows the US midterm elections, in which Democrats saw gains and Republicans faced setbacks. Iran's parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated on X that the results showed Americans had said no to war, posting, "Whether it was conscience or the cost of living, Americans said no to war, and we endorse this message."
Ghalibaf warned Washington not to "betray its public," adding, "If the US govt betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our 'no' comes with a nightmare."
US President Donald Trump acknowledged that the poor results for Republican congress members were partly due to the war on Iran and the resulting increase in gas prices, though he stated he did not regret launching the strikes. In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump suggested he was happy with the state of the conflict and did not consider the country to be "really in a war."
Talks to end the conflict, which was triggered by joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, have been stalled for months. While Iran has indicated a willingness to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, it has conditioned this on Washington accepting a seven-step peace plan. According to Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, this plan has been condensed and could be implemented in two days if the US agrees.
Iran's demands include an end to the war, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, the lifting of oil sanctions, and an end to US restrictions on Iranian ports. President Masoud Pezeshkian maintained that his government has been attempting to resolve the crisis "through dialogue," stating, "No-one will benefit from this war" if fighting restarts.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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