Iran’s Guard says tankers hit mines in Hormuz as Oman rescues 25 crew

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said on Friday that oil tankers trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz by routes Tehran does not authorise had struck mines or suffered “incidents” and been brought to a halt. Oman separately said it had pulled 25 crew from a burning vessel off its coast, as Qatari mediators returned to Tehran to push for a deal between Iran and the United States.

According to Al Jazeera, the Guard first described two tankers, one in the eastern part of the strait and one in the western part, that were stopped in waters south of the passage. A later statement described a third, a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of oil, which it said exploded and caught fire.

Rescue off Musandam

Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said its Royal Navy evacuated 25 crew from a Panama-flagged merchant ship that was attacked and burned about 1.6 nautical miles off the Musandam coast, Euronews reported. The crew received medical care. Al Jazeera, citing the tracking site MarineTraffic, said the ship was the crude tanker RITI. Neither outlet could say whether it was one of the vessels named by the Guard.

Euronews noted that the Guard gave no identities, flags or details on the cause of the incidents or the state of the crews. It said the ships had turned off their navigation systems and ignored radio warnings, and accused them of sailing with US military backing.

In a possibly unrelated case, UKMTO said a small boat attached two explosive devices to a tanker’s hull on Thursday evening, about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab. The Financial Times named the ship as Louise 1. The blasts started an engine-room fire, which was put out, and the vessel continued on its way.

Washington rejects the mine claims

US Central Command chief Brad Cooper said the strait’s primary internationally recognised routes had been cleared of Iranian mines. The US military denies the Guard’s mine claims. Iran has demanded that ships coordinate with its authorities and use lanes nearer its northern shore, while vessels avoiding Tehran’s control have used the southern route.

CNBC reported that October has seen more attacks on commercial ships than any other month of the war. The International Maritime Organization counted at least 30 vessels hit by Oct. 27, double the 15 confirmed in September. Brent crude traded above $117 a barrel on Friday, up more than 13% this month.

Even so, Kpler data cited by CNBC show crude exports through Hormuz averaged nearly 11.1 million barrels a day in October, only about 2% below September. Shippers have relied on a shuttle system of transfers in the Gulf of Oman and on US air cover, which BIMCO’s Jakob Larsen said owners would be reluctant to sail without. Freight costs have soared.

Diplomacy and threats

Euronews said Qatari mediators arrived in Tehran on Friday. CBS News, citing a source familiar with the talks, reported signs of progress and said Iran was expected to reply to a revised proposal by the end of the week. Axios reported that the mediators were seeking common ground on inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites and sanctions relief, while disagreement persisted over how to formally open negotiations.

Axios also reported that the United States and Israel were weighing options for extensive strikes on Iran after the Nov. 3 midterm elections. President Donald Trump told a Kansas City radio station the war would end “soon” but did not say whether through a deal or force. Whether the talks can head off renewed strikes remains unclear.