Hormuz Strait tanker attacks: Iran reports seven ships hit

Seven tankers were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz overnight. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had attacked four of them, which were carrying oil, without the vessels’ consent, the AP news agency reported, citing Iranian state television. Three more tankers, it said, were damaged after hitting sea mines.

The four ships, the Guards claim, were hit while oil was being transferred. According to Iranian TV, none of the seven vessels is able to continue its voyage. It is not yet known which flags the tankers were sailing under or whether anyone was injured.

A warning to the US

The Corps also warned the United States against urging cargo ships to use routes in the Strait of Hormuz where the American military is trying to ensure safety. Iran threatened fresh strikes on US bases in the Persian Gulf.

Why the strait remains a stumbling block

The Strait of Hormuz is strategically vital and, along with Iran’s nuclear programme, remains the main point of contention in talks on ending the war between the US and Iran. Mediated peace talks led to a memorandum in June this year, but it was never implemented.

In September, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. That meeting also brought no progress.

Fears of a new escalation are now growing. According to The New York Times, the US and Israel are planning a series of short, intense strikes after the November US congressional elections.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz