Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that seven commercial vessels were struck in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, prompting US President Donald Trump to accuse Tehran of fabricating attacks to drive up oil prices ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
The IRGC Navy said four vessels conducting ship-to-ship oil transfers in the northern Persian Gulf caught fire on Wednesday, alleging they were moving oil for an American company along routes deemed illegal by Iran. Three other vessels reportedly struck naval mines west of the Strait of Hormuz and were left disabled. The claims have not been independently verified.
Iran has not identified the vessels or their owners, while the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has issued no corresponding incident reports. Details of possible casualties or oil spills remain unclear.
“Iran is doing everything they can to drive up the price of oil prior to the U.S. Midterm Election,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, accusing Tehran of inventing attacks as more oil passes through the strait.
However, the absence of official maritime alerts does not necessarily disprove the claims. UKMTO said in an October 16 assessment that many vessels were not reporting attacks directly, making it difficult to establish the full scale of incidents.
The alleged targeting of four ships during oil transfers could signal an expansion of threats to regional energy shipments if confirmed.
Ship-to-ship transfers have become an important means of moving Gulf crude to international markets amid disruption around the strait.
