Four oil tankers destroyed by mines in Strait of Hormuz amid US-Iran conflict

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) reported that four oil tankers caught fire after hitting naval mines while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to France 24. The incident occurred following US President Donald Trump's announcement of strikes on Iran and reports of a raid on Qeshm Island in the strait.

The IRGC stated that the four tankers were 'non-compliant' and that two other vessels were halted. They also claimed to have shot down a drone over the strait, which Tehran asserts control over as a vital global energy passage, per France 24.

The conflict between the US and Iran, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran earlier in the year, has been at a stalemate for months. Indirect talks via mediators have continued with little sign of a diplomatic breakthrough, and Iran has said it will reopen the strait only if Washington agrees to a list of demands.

Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, said on social media that Americans have 'said NO TO WAR' following the US midterm elections, which saw a defeat for President Trump's Republican Party. Ghalibaf warned that if the US government ignores this public will, it will face consequences, according to BBC World.

President Trump acknowledged that the war and rising petrol prices contributed to the Republican Party's election losses but said he did not regret launching the joint attack on Iran. He stated the conflict would end 'when I say it ends' and warned of possible all-out war if no deal is reached, as reported by BBC World.