Four tankers destroyed by naval mines in Strait of Hormuz, Iran's IRGC says
Iran's IRGC claims four oil tankers were destroyed by naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. military strikes on the country. The escalation occurs amid ongoing tensions and recent U.S. midterm election results.
Why it matters
The destruction of tankers in a critical global shipping lane poses a significant risk to global energy markets and international security.
Image source, Getty Image caption, Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian said "no-one will benefit from this war" if fighting with the US and Israel restarts
Four oil tankers were destroyed after hitting naval sea mines, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday, a day after US officials said the US military had launched strikes on the country.
The IRGC said two of the vessels were still burning, and two additional tankers had been seized, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. It said they were trying to travel through a prohibited southern route in the Strait of Hormuz.
The BBC has not independently verified the IRGC's claim, which came as US voters punished Republicans at the midterm elections, leading Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, to say the results showed Americans had said no to war.
He warned Washington not to betray its public.
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in