TEHRAN (The Thursday Times) — Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy said on Friday that three oil tankers had caught fire and exploded while trying to use what it called unauthorised routes through the Strait of Hormuz, and that it had destroyed an unmanned US vessel in the waterway, as Qatari mediators arrived in Tehran to try to revive a ceasefire.
One of the tankers, carrying 2 million barrels of crude, had hit a mine, the IRGC navy said in a statement carried by Iranian state media. Reuters could not immediately verify the claims, and there was no confirmation from the US military about the unmanned vessel. Earlier on Friday, Iran had said four tankers were on fire after hitting mines, a day after Washington said shipping routes had been cleared.
The incidents came as a Qatari delegation, headed by a senior adviser to Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and working in coordination with US officials, arrived in Tehran for talks, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported.
The Qataris last week delivered a letter from US Vice President JD Vance to Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei, reportedly proposing a framework for negotiations. Sources told Al Jazeera a meeting could be held within a week in Doha or Istanbul.
Washington is sending mixed signals. The head of US Central Command has briefed President Donald Trump on options for renewed strikes, and Trump has reportedly told Gulf allies to prepare for a short, high-intensity campaign after next Tuesday’s midterm elections.
