Iran Says Seven Tankers Hit in Strait of Hormuz

Iran reported Thursday that seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged overnight in the Strait of Hormuz, either hit by Iranian forces or struck by naval mines, as fears mount of a return to full-scale war. Iranian state television cited the Revolutionary Guard Corps navy, which again threatened to strike U.S. military bases in the region if Washington continues helping guide commercial ships through the strait. No casualties were reported, and The Associated Press could not independently verify the claims. October has seen the highest number of reported attacks on commercial shipping since March, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, though it did not report the latest incidents and noted growing reluctance among shippers to disclose attacks. Despite the violence, tankers continue moving oil through the strait under U.S. military protection, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence, which recorded 28 attacks on ships in October, the highest monthly total since the war began. Operators have used a U.S.-protected night route near Oman, with vessels switching off location systems before transferring oil to other tankers bound for Asia, though spot charter rates have soared into the hundreds of thousands of dollars a day. The United States has been sending additional military assets, including a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops, to the Middle East. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remains open to diplomacy while prepared to defend itself. Mediators continue efforts to restart formal talks, though President Donald Trump rejected Iran's latest seven-day proposal to end the war in late September, even as indirect discussions have continued.