Iran says seven tankers hit overnight in Hormuz, warns it may target US bases

Seven oil tankers were damaged overnight into Thursday, October 22, 2026, in and around the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said, in what would be the heaviest single day of attacks on shipping since the war began on February 28 if the claim is confirmed. The Guards said four tankers were attacked and set on fire while moving oil between ships in the northern Gulf, and three more were crippled by naval mines in the strait itself.

What Iran says happened

The account was carried on Iranian state television, quoting a statement from the Revolutionary Guards navy. It did not name the ships, give their flags or say whether any crew members were killed or hurt. Independent shipping monitors had not confirmed the full figure by Thursday afternoon, Pakistan time.

Incident	Location	Ships	Iran's account
Attacks on ship-to-ship transfers	Northern Gulf	4 tankers	Targeted while transferring oil; caught fire
Mine strikes	Strait of Hormuz	3 tankers	Damaged and immobilised after hitting mines
Total		7 tankers	No casualty figures given

The Guards also repeated their warning to shipping companies that using what Iran calls "illegal" routes between the Gulf and the open ocean is dangerous. In the same statement they said that if the United States tries to help tankers pass through other parts of the strait, Iran's response could widen to include US bases in the region. During the war, the Guards repeatedly fired at US bases in Gulf countries.

A week of mines and fires

The claim follows a run of incidents at sea:

• On Tuesday, October 20, the Guards said mines they had laid struck three tankers using a southern route that Tehran does not recognise, and claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 drone — a claim a US official called untrue.
• On October 21, a tanker was hit by an unknown projectile off Bukha, Oman, and caught fire before anchoring, maritime security reports said. A Kuwait-flagged tanker with 21 Indian seafarers on board was also struck near the strait; all crew were reported safe.
• Iran has also claimed that an oil supertanker exploded after hitting a mine, which has not been confirmed.

Last week a container ship sank near Hormuz as attacks on merchant shipping reached their fastest pace of the war.

Background

The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, carried about a fifth of the world's oil and a large share of its liquefied natural gas before the war. It has been effectively closed to normal commercial traffic since the US and Israel began their war with Iran on February 28, although some oil has kept moving through routes agreed with Iran and by ship-to-ship transfers.

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strait would stay closed until the United States honours the Islamabad memorandum of understanding reached in earlier talks mediated by Pakistan. Washington says Iran must first sharply cut its uranium enrichment. US officials have said there will be no new strikes before the November 3 midterm elections, but planning for possible renewed military action after the vote has been reported.

Reactions

There was no immediate response from Washington to the Guards' claim or their threat against US bases. The US has been quietly reducing its military footprint at some Middle East posts and has ordered non-emergency diplomats and their families out of Saudi Arabia because of attacks by Yemen's Houthis, who are aligned with Iran. Gulf states, including Qatar, have warned that sea mines and oil spills in the strait threaten the whole region.

Markets

Indicator	Thursday, October 22
Brent crude	About $110 a barrel
WTI crude	About $98.5 a barrel
Brent recent high	$111.99 on October 20, highest since May
Strait of Hormuz	Closed to normal traffic (day 235 of the war)

Why it matters

Every tanker lost or delayed tightens supply and raises insurance and freight costs, which feed into petrol, diesel and electricity prices worldwide. Pakistan, which imports most of its oil and LNG from the Gulf, has already raised fuel prices this month, and India relies on the same routes for much of its crude. Thousands of South Asian seafarers crew the tankers that still use these waters.

A direct threat to US bases also raises the risk that the uneasy pause in fighting between Iran and the United States could collapse into renewed war.

What happens next

Watch for independent confirmation of the ships hit and their crews' condition from maritime authorities, any US military response, and whether Pakistan and Qatar's mediation produces movement before the US elections on November 3. Shipping companies are expected to keep most traffic away from the strait while mines remain a threat.