Iran steps up Hormuz mine war as two container ships sink and Houthis strike Saudi Aramco HQ
The GFS Pride listing and ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz, one of five Iranian attacks in 48 hours as Tehran seeks to drive US gasoline prices higher before November's midterms.
Two container ships have gone down in waters close to the Strait of Hormuz following projectile strikes, with maritime security sources warning that Iran appears to be deliberately escalating attacks to shut the waterway before the US midterm elections on 3 November. The Singapore-flagged GFS Pride was lost after Iran's Revolutionary Guards reported it had struck a naval mine on an "unauthorised" route; the Antigua-flagged Cape Dao sank in a separate incident, making it the second vessel lost since the US-Iran war began in February. All 21 crew aboard the GFS Pride were evacuated safely.
Houthis separately struck Saudi Aramco's Dhahran headquarters, vowing further attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities and urging workers to evacuate them.
A new report reveals the Houthis are now building medium-range missiles independently of Iran, using Chinese components, sharply extending their reach across the region.
Fuel prices in the US have risen more than 40 per cent year-on-year to around $4.34 a gallon, with 64 per cent of Americans telling pollsters the country is not winning the war against Iran.
