4 tankers hit blasts in Hormuz as US-Iran strike fears rise
What's new: Brent climbed toward $117 a barrel as reports pointed to possible renewed US strikes after the Nov. 3 midterms.
Four tankers were hit by blasts in and near the Strait of Hormuz, sharpening fears that fighting between the United States and Iran could widen after the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Iran's military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said three tankers caught fire after striking mines near the Omani coast and a fourth burned east of the strait. UK Maritime Trade Operations separately reported a small boat attached two explosive devices to a tanker about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, causing an engine-room fire but no crew injuries. The incidents came as Vice President JD Vance pursued indirect outreach to Tehran through Qatari mediators, even as reports said President Donald Trump had been briefed on military options. Oil prices jumped, with Brent nearing $117 a barrel.