Iran Reports Seven Tanker Strikes in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said seven oil tankers were struck and damaged in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, October 22, 2026, marking the waterway's highest reported daily toll since the United States and Israel began their war against Iran on February 28. Tehran also threatened US bases across the Middle East if Washington expands its efforts to escort ships through the strategic passage.

According to the IRGC, four tankers were transferring oil when they came under attack and caught fire overnight. Three other vessels were disabled after striking mines, the Iranian military organization said.

The claims could not be independently verified. The report provided no information about potential casualties or the flags flown by the affected tankers.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical international shipping route through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil supplies passed before the war began. Iran claims control over the waterway and has regularly attacked ships attempting to navigate it without authorization, while US forces have increasingly escorted vessels through the passage.

The IRGC warned that further US involvement could expand the conflict to American military installations in the region.

"The US military must know that if this trend continues, the conflict will extend to its bases in the region. This is a serious warning," the IRGC said in a statement published on its Sepah News website.

US President Donald Trump disputed Iran's account of the attacks and accused Tehran of seeking to influence oil prices ahead of the US midterm elections.

"Iran is doing everything they can to drive up the price of oil prior to the US Midterm Election," Trump said Thursday.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump also challenged Iran's reports of tanker damage and sea mines, arguing that shipping activity through the strait had increased.

"They are making up fake hits, mines, and everything else because more oil is coming through the Hormuz Strait now than it did even prior to the beginning of the conflict," Trump said.

A spokesperson for US Central Command, speaking anonymously to Al Jazeera, rejected Iran's claims about mines and said American forces had cleared international shipping lanes. The spokesperson said Iran was instead using missiles and drones to attack vessels.

The spokesperson described the strait as remaining open, with 95 percent of vessels successfully passing through. The attacks, the spokesperson added, reflected Tehran's "desperation" under a US blockade that restricts Iran's access to resources needed to rebuild military capabilities Washington says it has destroyed.

Al Jazeera correspondent Mohamed Vall, reporting from Tehran, said attacks on ships and tankers were becoming more frequent as Iran maintained its position against changes to the current situation in the waterway.

"The number of ships and tankers attacked every single day is increasing, and Iran is saying it is continuing to do this because they are not going to allow any change in that situation," Vall said.

He added that Iranian officials continued to assert control over the strategic shipping route.

"They have full control over the Strait of Hormuz right now, they say," Vall said.

Vall also reported growing discussion in Tehran about a possible escalation before the US midterm elections in early November. Iranian officials have anticipated further American attacks, he said, while the IRGC army chief has claimed that Iran is better prepared than ever for a conventional confrontation.

"The IRGC army chief has boasted that Iran is more ready than anytime before, and has produced enough weapons and equipment to wage a symmetrical war against the United States," Vall said.

Reporting from the White House, Al Jazeera correspondent Kimberly Halkett said a further US attack on Iran could create political difficulties for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. She cited recent polling indicating opposition among Americans to increased spending on a widening conflict.

"Striking Iran does not appear to serve any Republican interests," Halkett said.

Halkett said polling suggested that many Americans wanted the government to address the financial burden associated with the conflict rather than commit additional public funds to military operations.

"What we've seen in surveys in recent months, and as of today, is that most Americans want relief from their tax money going to pay for any potential war with Iran that is ramped up," Halkett said.

She also pointed to rising fuel prices and the resulting pressure on household budgets as factors affecting the political debate over the war.

"There is real frustration over the rising cost for everyday Americans, given the rising fuel prices that have occurred as a result of this conflict … As a result, the US president is having to make the case," Halkett said.

Halkett said the political pressure extended beyond the opposition party to members of Trump's own party.

"The pressure is on the president, and it's not just from the opposition party. It is also from within the Republican Party as well," she said.