Hormozgan, Iran – September 9: An Iranian medium-sized oil tanker waits off Bandar Abbas in the Strait of Hormuz in Hormozgan province, Iran, on September 9, 2026.
Fatemeh Bahrami | Anadolu | Getty Images
Pressure is mounting on two fronts as Iran says four tankers have struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Yemen’s Houthis claim missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United States is reportedly considering new military action against Tehran after Tuesday’s midterm elections.
The escalation has raised concerns among regional officials and analysts that fighting could resume before or after the Nov. 3 vote, even as Vice President J.D. Vance seeks to restart talks with Iran.
The development highlights the emergence of competing diplomatic and military lines as the conflict enters its ninth month.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said three tankers caught fire after being struck by sea mines on a route called the “unauthorized southern route” near the Omani coast. The Iranian military said a fourth person had caught fire east of the strait.
Britain’s Maritime Trade Service reported that a small vessel attached two explosive devices to the tanker about 25 nautical miles north-east of Khasab, Oman. The agency said the explosion caused an engine room fire and rendered the ship unnavigable, adding that the crew was safe.
Separately, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also on Thursday disputed a statement by the U.S. Central Command that said U.S. forces had cleared landmines from a major shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz. The vital waterway carries about a fifth of the world’s energy supplies, but traffic has plummeted to single digits per day since the war began in late February.
“Please substantiate your claim that mines have been cleared from the Strait of Hormuz with independent evidence, not with statements,” said Hossein Mohebi, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards. “The reality of the Strait of Hormuz is determined by the air, land and sea, not social media or U.S. news war rooms.”
The Iranian-backed Houthis announced they had launched six military operations across the kingdom targeting airports and oil facilities, despite an unusual meeting between senior Saudi and Iranian officials in Tehran earlier this week. The two countries agreed to resolve regional differences through dialogue.
Saudi authorities did not confirm the attack, but said their air defense forces intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone that was launched into the holy Mecca region.
Earlier this week, Vance sent a letter through Qatari intermediaries to Mohsen Rezaei, chairman of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, proposing a framework for dialogue.
Asked if he had ordered aid operations, President Donald Trump answered “no,” saying Iran needed “assistance with medical supplies and a variety of other things.” “He (Vance) asked me what I thought, and I said, ‘If that’s what you want to do, that’s fine,'” Trump said.
There are reports that the Trump administration may resume military operations in the Middle East after the November 3 midterm elections.
The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday, citing unnamed U.S. officials close to the matter, that the top U.S. commander in the region, Adm. Brad Cooper, made a rare in-person visit to the White House to brief Trump on military options against Iran.
Other ministers also attended the meeting, which also covered other topics, including the continued U.S. lockdown, the report said.
