Iran Reports Damage to Seven Oil Tankers in Strait of Hormuz

Iran reported Thursday that seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz overnight, attributing the incidents to strikes or naval mines, as regional tensions escalate over fears of renewed all-out war. The attacks come days before Israel's close elections and ahead of U.S. midterm elections, with concerns that U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran could resume. Iranian state television cited the Revolutionary Guard Corps navy, which threatened to hit U.S. military bases if Washington continues guiding commercial ships through the strait. Iran retains control over the waterway as leverage in potential talks, while the U.S. is deploying a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops to the region. Tehran has proposed ending the war and fully opening the strait within a week if conditions are met, but President Donald Trump rejected the plan.