The key facts

  • UKMTO reported a fire aboard a vessel 9 nautical miles north of Hasab in Oman; the fate of the crew is unknown
  • The IRGC claims three tankers hit mines within 24 hours and an American drone was downed
  • Attacks on vessels in the strait are at their highest level since the war began in February

Fire aboard a vessel in the strait

The British maritime agency UKMTO, which operates under the UK Royal Navy, reported on Thursday a burning vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the agency, the captain of another ship spotted the burning vessel 9 nautical miles (17 km) north of the city of Hasab in Oman. The cause of the fire and possible casualties have not been disclosed; the status of the crew, as well as information about damage and environmental consequences, remain unknown. This is reported by Deutsche Welle.

Iran's statements and a downed drone

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated the same day that over the past 24 hours three tankers exploded and caught fire after striking naval mines while using an 'unauthorized' route. It is unknown whether the vessel reported by UKMTO is among them. At the same time, Iran, according to the Tasnim agency citing the IRGC, downed another American drone east of the strait using a new modern air defense system; it is claimed that since the start of the war 14 drones of this type and more than 50 MQ-9 Reapers have been destroyed. These claims have not been independently confirmed, although according to the US Congressional Research Service, dozens of American aircraft and drones have been lost or damaged since the war began.

Context: escalation in the strait

Since the start of the war in February, triggered by US and Israeli attacks on Iran, Tehran has sought to control the strait — a key hub of global oil and gas supplies — and attacks vessels it considers unauthorized users of the waters. According to shipping data provider Kpler, oil exports through the strait declined again last week, and according to the Washington-based Institute for Near East Policy, attacks on shipping are at their highest level since the war began. The US Navy, which is conducting its own blockade of Iranian vessels, recently escorted tankers in precisely the area where the burning vessel was spotted.

Risk of new American strikes

The incidents come amid expectations of possible new US strikes on Iran after the midterm elections on November 3. Last week, Donald Trump said: 'we could do another little Epic Fury,' referring to the American-Israeli strikes on Tehran in February, but gave no timeline. A third US aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are heading to the region. Meanwhile, according to reports, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the Pentagon's top military planner, Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia: according to The Atlantic, no reason was given and no replacement has been named. If the dismissal is confirmed, it will be the latest in a series of such departures — Sylvia's predecessor, Lieutenant General Joseph McGee, was dismissed in October of last year.