Hormuz Crisis Live: Tankers Hit Mines as 6,000 Seafarers Remain Trapped and Gaza Aid Is Cut

FORT MYERS, Florida — US President Donald Trump told supporters at a rally in Fort Myers that Washington may carry out another military operation against Iran, saying: "We may do another little Epic Fury," the Pentagon's codename for the ongoing war, according to Reuters. Trump did not elaborate. Earlier on Friday he said the US could end the war quickly but questioned whether to seek a swift conclusion or let it wind down gradually, as rising fuel prices pressure voters ahead of the November 3 midterms. Separately, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said two tankers struck naval mines while attempting what Tehran called "an unauthorised route" south of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported.

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has accused Iran of fabricating reports of tanker attacks and naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz to drive up oil prices ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. "Iran is doing everything they can to drive up the price of Oil prior to the U.S. Midterm Election," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday. "They are even making up fake hits, mines, and everything else, because more Oil is coming through the Hormuz Strait now than it did even prior to the beginning of the Conflict." A US Central Command spokesperson rejected Iran's claims about mines, saying US forces had cleared international shipping lanes and that Iran was relying on missiles and drones. The accusation came a day after Iranian state television claimed seven oil tankers had been hit in the waterway — a claim Washington disputes. Brent crude traded near $113 a barrel, close to a five-month high, as markets weighed the risk of further disruption to energy supplies.

Iranian state television, citing the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that seven oil tankers were damaged or caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz overnight into Thursday. The IRGC claimed four vessels were hit while conducting oil transfers in the northern Persian Gulf and three more struck naval mines west of the strait, warning that US military bases across the region could face a wider response if Washington continues escorting commercial ships through the waterway. No casualties were reported, and the British maritime monitor UKMTO had not confirmed the incidents. Responding on Friday, US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper said US forces were working with regional partners to protect vessels transiting the strait, adding: "The Strait of Hormuz is controlled by the United States and our regional partners, not Iran. It remains open for business."

Iran's Revolutionary Guards say an oil tanker struck a naval mine south of the Strait of Hormuz, triggering an explosion and a fire in its engine room. The Guards said the vessel was travelling on an unauthorised southern route with its positioning and navigation systems switched off. The incident came a day after two other tankers caught fire in the waterway in similar circumstances.

International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez says around 6,000 seafarers remain trapped in the region since the conflict began, with 24 seafarers killed and more than 110 confirmed maritime incidents. 'The situation continues to be severe and critical when it comes to international shipping,' Dominguez said, urging vessels not to transit the strait until safety guarantees exist.

The World Food Programme says funding shortages have forced it to cut food assistance in Gaza by around one third. The agency now reaches 1.1 million people, down from 1.6 million in September, with rations halved, daily hot meals down from 250,000 to 150,000, and an urgent appeal for $450 million to sustain operations through March.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, appearing alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, blamed the United States for insecurity in the strait and called on regional states to build a joint security arrangement without foreign forces. 'We welcome any initiative that leads to security from within,' Araghchi said, adding that Tehran's offer to reopen Hormuz remains on the table.