Iran claims four tankers struck mines in Hormuz as strike fears grow after U.S. midterms

HORMOZGAN, IRAN - SEPTEMBER 09: Iran's medium-sized oil tankers continue to wait off the coast of Bandar Abbas at the Strait of Hormuz in Hormozgan Province, Iran on September 09, 2026. Fatemeh Bahrami | Anadolu | Getty ImagesIran said four tankers struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz and Yemen's Houthis claimed missile strikes on Saudi Arabia, escalating pressure on two fronts as the U.S. reportedly weighs renewed military action against Tehran after Tuesday's midterm elections.The flare-up is fueling concern among regional officials and analysts that fighting could resume around the Nov. 3 vote, even as Vice President JD Vance seeks to reopen talks with Iran. The developments underscore the competing diplomatic and military tracks now shaping the conflict, which now in its ninth month.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said three tankers caught fire after striking mines along what it called an "unauthorized southern route" near the Omani coast. Iran's army said a fourth burned east of the strait.The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported a small boat attaching two explosive devices to a tanker about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. The blasts sparked an engin...