Iran claims three oil tankers, including a supertanker, exploded and caught fire after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump, JD Vance and Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office in July. Trump has denied that a letter Vance sent to Iran's top security official was intended to revive peace negotiations, insisting it concerned…
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy claimed the three ships had been following "unauthorised routes" when they struck mines, including the supertanker — which was carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil. Iranian state media also reported that IRGC forces downed and captured a US MQM-170 drone over Qeshm island and destroyed an unmanned US surface vessel in the eastern strait. US CENTCOM rejected both claims outright, saying all American unmanned assets in the area are fully accounted for.
Saudi Arabia intercepted a Houthi drone near Mecca at the same time, adding another layer to the regional picture.
A Washington Times report cited a US admiral saying Iran's navy has been sunk, mines cleared and tankers moving freely again.
A new IISS study warns Gulf states' trillion-dollar US weapons haul failed to protect them during the war.
