Iran Claims Seven Tankers Hit in Strait of Hormuz, Warns US of Wider Response
Iran claimed seven oil tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz and warned US bases could be targeted; Washington dismissed the claims as fabricated.
Iran has claimed that seven oil tankers were struck and damaged in the Strait of Hormuz, warning the United States of a wider military response if the confrontation escalates.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement on Thursday that the vessels were hit in the strategic waterway, through which around a fifth of the world's oil supply passes. The claims could not be independently verified, and the statement gave no details about possible casualties.
The IRGC also warned that it could strike US military bases across the Middle East if Washington moves to help its ally. "The US military must know that if this trend continues, the conflict will extend to its bases in the region," the statement said.
The United States pushed back hard on the claims. President Donald Trump accused Tehran of fabricating the incidents, writing on Truth Social that Iran was "making up fake hits, mines, and everything" in a bid to drive up oil prices ahead of the US midterm elections.
A US Central Command spokesperson, speaking anonymously, also rejected Iran's claims, telling Al Jazeera that US forces had cleared the international shipping lanes of mines and that the strait remained open, with 95 percent of vessels getting through. The attacks, the spokesperson added, showed Tehran's "desperation" under the US blockade.
The US military has been escorting ships through the strait in growing numbers in recent weeks.
Source: Al Jazeera English — TrendWire reports stories in its own words; facts should be confirmed against the original source.