Ship Carrying 2,500 Containers Sinks After Hitting Naval Mine In Strait Of Hormuz, Says Iran

A vessel carrying more than 2,500 containers sank in the southern Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after hitting a naval mine and catching fire, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said, as Tehran steps up efforts to disrupt shipping through the strategic waterway and keep global oil prices elevated ahead of the US midterm elections in November.

According to the Guards Navy, the ship attempted to navigate what it described as an “unauthorised and dangerous” route before striking the mine. The vessel subsequently caught fire and sank, the Iranian force said, warning local vessels and fishermen to exercise caution. The statement did not identify the ship or provide details about casualties, its ownership or the origin of the mine.

Tehran is now considering expanding its maritime operations beyond the strait, according to two senior Iranian officials. The proposed strategy would extend operations into the Gulf of Oman and waters farther afield, with the stated aim of frustrating US efforts to bring down global oil prices.

Maritime security reporting based on incidents reported to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and regional security companies suggests that attacks may already be extending beyond the strait. Recent reports have indicated that ships were targeted in waters off Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

One Iranian official said the strategy was intended to prevent US President Donald Trump from lowering oil prices before the November midterm elections. “Just when they think they are getting close to the point where prices will fall, we will push them away from it. This is a game of chess,” the official said, warning that vessels could be unsafe even outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, tensions between Iran and Israel remain high ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Tehran that any attack on Israel would trigger a response it “cannot even imagine”. He said Israel had achieved around 60 per cent of its security objectives against Iran and its regional allies, while insisting that he would not allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu also indicated that he opposed a US or Israeli attack on Iran in the coming days, saying such action would not be convenient ahead of the Israeli election. He separately defended his record over the intelligence failures preceding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, comparing them with the failures before Pearl Harbor and the September 11 attacks in the United States.