Iran Claims More Ships Struck Near Hormuz as Trump Accuses Tehran of ‘Faking Hits’

The Soho Square, a crude oil tanker sailing under the flag of Liberia, is at anchor in the Galveston Bay as it makes it’s way to the Port of Houston shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act shipping law, in Texas City, Texas, U.S. March 18, 2026. REUTERS/Antranik Tavitian

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed Thursday that seven commercial vessels were struck overnight in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, including four ships conducting oil transfers, prompting President Donald Trump to accuse Tehran of fabricating attacks to drive up oil prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said four vessels conducting ship-to-ship oil transfers in the northern Persian Gulf were struck simultaneously on Wednesday and caught fire. The vessels were allegedly transferring oil for an American company using routes Iran considers illegal.

In a separate claim, the IRGC said three additional vessels struck naval mines west of the Strait of Hormuz, causing fires that left them disabled, according to Reuters.

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