x
Supertanker Explodes After Hitting Mine, IRGC Says, & Asserts ‘Strait Of Hormuz Is Closed’
Comes within hours of Trump reasserting Tehran is desperate for a deal…
- IRGC says supertanker exploded after hitting mine in Hormuz, says strait remains closed.
- ‘Deal’ headlines return: US seeks “Step-by-Step” agreement with Iran, reports state media.
- Houthis seized more Red Sea territory, including Perim Island near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
- Iran-Gulf diplomacy was postponed, delaying efforts to address the Strait of Hormuz crisis in what was to be a rare GCC-Iran meeting.
- Saudi oil exports face ongoing disruption after a pipeline shutdown, pushing oil prices above $100/barrel.
More below the fold.
Fighting rages in Yemen as Saudi-backed forces strike advancing Houthis
- Yemen’s Houthis say they launched a large-scale ballistic missile and drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait and claimed “direct hits”. There was no immediate response from Riyadh.
- The Iran-backed rebels say they captured more strategic islands in the southern Red Sea, strengthening their control of a crucial Bab al-Mandeb shipping route.
- Iran says a planned meeting with Gulf states regarding control over the Strait of Hormuz has been postponed by Saudi Arabia over the recent events in Yemen.
- Ground fighting intensifies on several fronts in Yemen as Saudi-backed government forces carry out air strikes on Houthi positions in an attempt to retake Mocha, days after the Houthis captured the strategic port city.
Here’s a look at the latest developments:
-
- The Houthis have seized the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands in the southern Red Sea, tightening their grip on the Bab al-Mandeb shipping route.
- Iran’s nuclear chief has been blocked from attending the IAEA’s annual conference in Vienna after US opposition.
- The WHO reports nearly 3,000 casualties in Yemen following days of fighting.
- Israeli forces shelled southern Lebanon despite a June ceasefire framework, striking Nabatieh al-Fawqa and firing on Beit Yahoun.
- The IOM says more than 93,000 people have been newly displaced in Yemen by the ongoing conflict.
Dozens of Saudi air strikes pound Houthi positions in Yemen
- Houthis say dozens of air attacks were launched by Saudi Arabia as the prime minister of Yemen’s internationally recognized government accuses the militia of killing and displacing civilians during its rapid advance.
- Oil prices continue to rise as concerns over supply disruptions persist after attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure left its East-West pipeline offline and cast doubt on efforts to ease shipping risks in the Gulf.
- President Donald Trump once again says Iran “wants to make a deal” to end the war but adds he will “determine whether or not” the United States chooses to engage.
- Iran’s security chief says the reality surrounding global energy shipments and the Strait of Hormuz has changed and there will be no talks with Washington until Tehran’s demands – as outlined in the Islamabad memorandum of understanding – are met.
Supertanker Explodes After Hitting Mine: IRGC
Iran’s IRGC Navy has late Monday (local) announced that a foreign supertanker exploded when it struck naval mines after attempting to enter an unapproved zone of the southern Strait of Hormuz, Fars reports.
Bloomberg also picked up the reported tanker explosion, providing the following further details:
- Efforts to contain the blaze have been unsuccessful, leaving the vessel engulfed in flames, Fars says
- The statement identified the vessel as the supertanker EL GAIA, with IMO number 9325336
- “Warnings had previously been issued regarding the dangers of this illegal passage”
- “IRGC Navy decisively declares that the Strait of Hormuz is closed”
If the emerging reports are accurate, it contradicts President Trump’s recent claims that the strait has been fully de-mined. Reuters in late August noted of a Truth Social post that the president proclaimed “all mines had been detonated or removed from international waters of the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran has been told that any ship or boat placing new mines will be destroyed.”
Oil Drops on Return of ‘US Seeks Deal’ Headlines
Just as President Trump is appearing to show some desperation concerning soaring energy prices ahead of the midterm elections, and amid growing Republican angst, we witness a return to the ‘a deal could return’ style headlines which marked earlier phases of the war:
US seeks “Step-by-Step” agreement with Iran, reports ILNA citing Pakistani sources
- As the war and US pressure against Iran continue, Washington’s efforts to reach a “step-by-step” agreement with Tehran; a scenario that could be a prelude to the US entering the path of negotiations, without abandoning military and economic pressure.
And the all too familiar pattern that marked early summer…
OIL DROPS TO INTRADAY LOW, BRENT TRADES NEAR $106 A BARREL
Iranian state media is meanwhile suggesting that Washington interfered in what was a planned meeting between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council states (GCC) toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz. That meeting, which was supposed to happen Monday, was postponed indefinitely – after reports said the Saudis sought to add something untenable to a draft agreement. Tehran is still rejecting that it is ‘seeking’ new talks with Washington.