Iran says seven ships hit in Hormuz Strait, warns US of wider response

The US has pushed back on the IRGC’s claims, dismissing them as an attempt to increase oil prices ahead of US elections.Iran says that seven oil tankers have been struck and sustained damage in the Strait of Hormuz, the largest single-day toll for the waterway since the United States and Israel started their war against Iran on February 28.Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement on Thursday that four of the vessels were transferring oil when they were targeted and caught fire overnight. The other three were disabled after striking mines.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘You have to sacrifice’: Trump voters stay loyal as US midterms approachlist 2 of 3Netanyahu promises Iran regime change: Can Israel topple Tehran government?list 3 of 3Rising costs and tight budgets strain Americans ahead of midterm electionsend of listThe claims could not be independently verified, and the report did not provide details about possible casualties or the tankers’ flags.The IRGC also warned that it could strike US bases across the Middle East if Washington moves to help tankers transit other parts of the strait.“The US military must know that if this trend cont...