Three Tankers Hit by Mines in Strait of Hormuz as US Denies Drone Capture

Three oil tankers struck mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours, Iranian state media reported Thursday. The vessels were attempting to exit the waterway through a route that was not authorized, according to the Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The report did not name the specific ships or list casualties. The Associated Press was unable to confirm the incident independently. Tensions in the region remain high as observers worry that U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran could resume.

Iran’s navy stated that the tankers turned off their radar and navigation systems while ignoring warnings. The damaged vessels were left abandoned off the southern coast of the strait.

The U.S. military also rejected Iranian claims regarding a captured drone. Iranian state television said the Revolutionary Guard detected an MQM-170 Outlaw drone near the strait. The report claimed Iranian forces took over the drone's control systems in an electronic warfare operation and landed it on Iranian soil.

Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, called the report false. He said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has lied repeatedly out of desperation in recent months and that the latest claim fits that pattern. The U.S. military did not provide further details on the drone's status.

In Yemen, at least 13 people were killed in a Saudi airstrike in western Taiz province, according to the Houthi-run Health Ministry. The victims were mostly women and children. The Saudi coalition did not immediately comment on the strike.

The deaths occurred as fighting intensified around Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city. Houthi rebels have fully encircled the city since early October. Nabil Shamsan, the governor of Taiz, said the city is in a state of famine. He noted that cooking gas has been completely blocked and hospitals are nearly out of oxygen.

Human Rights Watch suggested the siege could constitute the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare. The World Food Program reported this month that it could not reach more than 600,000 people in Taiz who rely on aid. Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi dismissed the siege reports as Saudi-fabricated claims, stating that routes for food and humanitarian needs remained open.

A separate strike on a paint factory on the outskirts of Taiz caused a large fire, according to Yemen’s National Human Rights Authority. The group warned that the fire could release toxic gases and contaminate nearby soil and groundwater. Saudi air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh by Houthi rebels Thursday. Multiple explosions were heard over the capital shortly after civil defense alerts were issued in Riyadh, Najran, and Al-Kharj province. The Houthis have not yet claimed responsibility for the missile launch.

In Israel, residents awaited final election results expected to be announced Thursday evening. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party amplified allegations that Arab-led parties stole the election. Final results are expected to show that Netanyahu’s bloc lost its majority in the Knesset. No party won the 61 seats needed to control parliament, leaving the path to a new government unclear. Netanyahu seized on a request by the elections committee for the Shin Bet intelligence service to investigate alleged foreign interference. The request did not specifically reference Arab-led parties, but Netanyahu said no party should cooperate with them.

In Gaza, an Israeli strike on a civilian vehicle in the central part of the territory killed two people and wounded one, according to health officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment. More than 1,550 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since a ceasefire began in October 2025, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.

An Iranian security official said the government received a message from U.S. Vice President JD Vance. The report, published by the semi-official Fars news agency, said the message was sent to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Iran has not responded to the letter. Diplomats said U.S. officials have told regional allies to prepare for potential renewed military action after next week’s U.S. midterm elections.