Iran says 7 tankers on fire or damaged in the Strait of Hormuz, and other Mideast news

Associated Press

Oct 22, 2026

A man checks his cellphone at a waterfront shelter as commercial vessels appear anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, Tuesday, Oct, 6, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)

Residents walk amid debris from their homes after a missile strike in Seina, Taiz, Yemen, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Marzouq Al Jabri)

Residents walk on their home debris at Seina district in Taiz, Yemen, after a missile strike, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Marzouq Al Jabri)

A displaced Yemeni girl walks at Al-Firdaws 2 camp in Ras Imran, on the western outskirts of Aden, Yemen, Yemen, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)

Iran's state television reported that seven oil tankers were either struck by attacks or hit naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz overnight Thursday, possibly making this the largest single-day number of vessels damaged in the waterway since the Iran war started on Feb. 28.

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Iran’s state television reported that seven oil tankers caught fire and were damaged overnight Thursday after being targeted or striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

If verified, it would be the largest single-day number of vessels damaged in the waterway since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran.

Quoting a statement by the Revolutionary Guard's navy, the Iranian report said that four of the tankers were transferring oil when they were targeted and caught fire. Another three were damaged and immobilized when they hit naval mines.

The report didn't provide details about possible casualties or the flags of the tankers.

The report also warned the Revolutionary Guard may target U.S. bases in the region if the U.S. tried to allow oil tankers to transit through other parts of the strait.

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The Revolutionary Guard had routinely targeted U.S. bases in Gulf countries during the war.

Yemen’s Defense Ministry said Thursday Houthi rallies and mobilization programs will be considered legitimate military targets and warned residents in Houthi-held areas against taking part.

The announcement was shared in a social media post and is considered a major escalation against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels as well as civilians living in areas under their control.

Deliberate attacks on civilians could amount to a war crime.

Rallies and what Houthis call “cultural courses” are one of the Iranian-backed group’s main tools for mobilization of supporters and fighters.

The Defense Ministry statement said such assemblies are used by the Houthis to mobilize children for combat.

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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.