Strait of Hormuz: Iran claims four tankers lost to mines

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on Wednesday that naval mines had destroyed four oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The declaration came one day after US officials confirmed that American forces had conducted strikes on Iranian territory. According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, two of the damaged vessels are still on fire while two others have been seized. The IRGC stated that the ships attempted to traverse a prohibited route in the southern section of the waterway. The BBC has not independently verified the extent of the damage.

The conflict escalated rapidly in the final hours of Tuesday. Earlier that day, the IRGC reported that mines had sunk three tankers and that its forces downed an MQ-9 drone over the strait. These incidents followed American strikes on Qeshm Island, which occurred after the IRGC fired at a US aircraft. The timeline of the engagement shows a quick shift from aerial combat to naval attrition in the critical shipping lane.

The military updates arrived on the same day as the US midterm elections, where Republican candidates suffered losses. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Iranian parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator, posted on X that the election results represented a rejection of war. He argued that Americans opposed the conflict due to conscience or rising living costs. Ghalibaf warned Washington to respect this public sentiment, threatening consequences if the US ignored it.

President Donald Trump addressed the election results on Tuesday. He acknowledged that the war with Iran and the subsequent increase in gasoline prices contributed to the poor performance of Republican congressional candidates. Speaking to CBS News, Trump said he did not regret starting the conflict. He stated that the war would end when he decided to end it. In a previous interview with the Financial Times, Trump questioned whether the nations were technically at war, suggesting US forces were ready to act but that a major strike might not be necessary.

Negotiations to resolve the conflict, which began with joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February, have stalled after months of deadlock. Speaking to parliament on Tuesday, Ghalibaf asserted that Iran would not surrender. He placed the responsibility for preventing further war on Washington. He warned that if the US made another strategic error, the battlefield would change and finding an exit would become more difficult.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Tuesday that his government has sought to resolve the crisis through dialogue. He said renewed fighting would benefit no one. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to the recent attacks and maintains that reopening it depends on US acceptance of its peace demands. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said this week that Iran's seven-step proposal has been condensed. He noted that the plan could be executed within two days if Washington agrees.