If Tehran’s count holds up, Wednesday night was the worst single night for merchant shipping in the Gulf since the war began on 28 February. According to the naval arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, a total of seven ships ended up burning or disabled near the narrow waterway. Nobody outside Iran has yet confirmed the figure.
The Guards describe two separate episodes. In the first, their forces shadowed four tankers that had earlier used what Iran calls an illegal route, caught them transferring crude between ships in the northern Gulf, and hit all four at once. In the second, three further ships allegedly struck mines on the western approaches, started burning and were left dead in the water.
Western monitors tell a thinner story. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre has not logged seven attacks over the past day. Its most recent report concerns one tanker hit on Wednesday by an unidentified projectile about 11 nautical miles off Bukha in Oman. UKMTO has warned, though, that most targeted crews no longer report incidents, so its tally is likely too low.
Alongside the claims came a warning aimed at Washington. The Guards said that further US “provocations” would push the fighting toward American and allied bases across the region. The United States has enforced a naval blockade on Iranian oil since mid-July, while Iran insists that passing ships seek its permission.
Before the war, roughly one barrel in five of the world’s seaborne oil moved through this channel, so every reported strike ripples into energy markets. Tehran says its offer to reopen the waterway through talks still stands, provided the US accepts its terms. Iraq, meanwhile, has been granted dedicated lanes agreed between Iran and Oman.
