Trump Awaits Decision on Iran Strike as Strait Attacks Surge
The IRGC claims two tankers hit mines Friday, while U.K. data shows record October vessel attacks in the key oil passage.
By Adriana Abebe ·
The Strait of Hormuz has become the central theater for energy markets, with shipping lanes under constant threat since the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran in late February. President Trump indicated on Friday that a decision regarding a potential new American attack on Iran is imminent.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that two oil tankers struck mines and caught fire in or near the strait. The IRGC stated in a release that the vessels, one east of the strait and one within it, used unauthorized routes. The group claimed the tankers had deactivated navigation and identification systems while moving under U.S. military support. The ships caught fire and were immobilized after hitting the mines.
This incident followed a report on Thursday that five oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire in similar attacks in the same region. Maritime officials have not yet confirmed these specific incidents. President Trump accused Iran of fabricating such attacks to inflate global energy prices.
A U.K. naval agency provided data earlier in the week showing that at least 30 commercial vessels were attacked in the region during October. That figure represents a record high for the area, despite repeated U.S. assurances that the shipping lanes are safe.
Tehran has sought to control traffic through the strait since the war began, a route that typically handles about a fifth of global crude oil supplies. The U.S. responded by imposing a blockade on Iranian ports. U.S. military escorts have helped bring Gulf shipments back to near pre-war levels, but attacks on ships continue.
