IRGC Claims Four More Ships Hit in Persian Gulf After Three Mine Strikes, Oil Jumps Over 2%

Since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, the Strait of Hormuz has become a war zone in all but name, and the latest escalation came overnight: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy now claims seven vessels hit in roughly a day.

In a statement carried by Iranian outlets Thursday, Oct. 22, the IRGC Navy said it tracked and struck four ships that were transferring oil cargo from one vessel to another in the north-central Persian Gulf. It said all four were hit simultaneously and are burning. It described them as "violating" vessels that had used an "illegal route."

The same statement said three other ships struck mines west of the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night, caught fire and were stopped. That is the mine incident already reported Wednesday. The four ship-to-ship strikes are the addition.

The IRGC has not named any of the seven ships, their flags or their owners. The claim has not been independently verified. CBS News noted that if it holds up, it would be the largest number of vessels damaged in the Gulf in a single day since the war started.

Oil reacts

Oil prices rose more than 2% Thursday, and world shares and US futures fell, after Iranian state television reported seven tankers hit by the military or by mines. CBS reported Brent crude gained 3.2% to hit $112.27 per barrel, and US benchmark crude rose 2.8% to $99.80.

Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported Wednesday that an unidentified projectile struck an oil tanker near Bakha, Oman.

Shipping data is less clear-cut than the price move. Data from the commercial intelligence firm Kpler shows crude exports from Persian Gulf countries other than Iran, counting bypass pipelines, have climbed above pre-war levels despite the attacks.

Two views of the same waterway

Tehran and Washington describe the shipping lanes in opposite terms. The IRGC says the US is "inciting" vessels to use a mined southern corridor, designated by Oman and secured by American forces, and blames Washington for "increasing maritime incidents day by day." Iran calls that corridor illegal.

The IRGC also runs its own transit route inside Iranian territorial waters and charges tolls and safety fees. The US and the International Maritime Organization reject that framework as inconsistent with international maritime law.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the only route recognized internationally is the traffic separation scheme adopted in 1968. "The information that we have is that they still have mines," he said, adding that with the conflict ongoing it is hard to verify the lane is clear. "We cannot guarantee that a vessel that intends to transit that route will not be hit by a mine."

Threat to US bases

The IRGC statement closed with a warning that continued US "provocative actions" will draw the confrontation to American bases in the region. It called this a "serious warning."

That lands as US posture appears to be shifting. A source familiar with the matter told ABC News the US military has been repositioning personnel at Middle East bases in a way similar to what happened quietly before the February war. CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins would not discuss it: "We regularly move U.S. service members and assets to optimize mission readiness. We do not discuss related movements for operational security reasons."

On Wednesday the State Department ordered non-essential personnel and family members out of Saudi Arabia. Officials say the decision responds directly to the risk from Yemen's Houthis. Saudi Aramco has told staff to evacuate its Dhahran headquarters and work remotely, Reuters reported, citing six sources. A missile hit an Aramco building there last week.

Diplomacy and the calendar

President Trump wrote on Oct. 8 that the US will not attack Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Late Wednesday he said the US is not negotiating with Iran and that "something" will happen "soon," according to Gulf News. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters mediation efforts are welcome, but the final call on terms is Trump's.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that Iran remains open to diplomacy if Washington shows willingness to build trust, and warned that choosing war over diplomacy would produce "an even greater strategic failure."

The New York Times reported Wednesday, citing sources, that US and Israeli militaries have drawn up plans for renewed strikes after the midterms. Iranian state media reported explosions in Hormozgan province, overlooking the strait, and an adviser to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran and Israel were nearing a "zero hour." US and Israeli officials confirmed dozens of Israeli fighters and refueling aircraft flew more than 800 miles on a route consistent with a possible strike on Iran.

Foreign ministers from Britain, France and Germany are due to meet counterparts from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt in Istanbul on Friday, Oct. 23, with Hormuz on the agenda. The next check is whether ship-tracking or flag-state data confirms the damage the IRGC claims.