Iran's state television said on Thursday that seven oil tankers were damaged or set on fire near the Strait of Hormuz overnight, in what would be the largest single-day tally of vessels hit in the strategic waterway since the conflict between Iran and the United States began in February 2026.

Citing a statement from the navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the report said four tankers were struck and caught fire while transferring oil in the northern Persian Gulf on Wednesday, and three other vessels were damaged and left immobilised after hitting naval mines west of the strait.

The claims could not be independently verified. Britain's maritime security monitor, UKMTO, had not reported the alleged attacks, and the Iranian report gave no details of possible casualties or the flags the tankers were sailing under. Maritime monitors noted, however, that commercial traffic through the strait has thinned sharply as shipping companies avoid the route.

Oil prices jump

The claims jolted energy markets. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose by more than 2 per cent in Asian trading on Thursday to top $111 a barrel — its highest level since May — as investors priced in the risk of further disruption to supplies from the Gulf. The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil, and any sustained disruption to traffic through it can move global prices quickly.

Thursday's rally extended a volatile week for oil. Prices had climbed above $110 earlier in the month after attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East, eased as diplomatic contacts between Iran and Pakistan raised hopes of calmer waters, and climbed again as the week's incidents multiplied.

Wider escalation

The IRGC Navy also warned the United States that continued "provocations" — including help for commercial vessels transiting the strait — could trigger a broader response against American military bases across the Middle East. The warning comes as the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen expand strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia: on Wednesday, debris from intercepted drones killed two people and injured two others near a processing plant at the Shaybah oilfield, one of the kingdom's largest.

In response, the United States ordered non-essential government personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, warning that hostilities could escalate quickly. Britain announced it would send fighter jets to help defend the kingdom.

The developments come ahead of next month's US midterm elections, where rising fuel prices linked to the conflict have become a political issue, and just days before Israel's closely contested elections. Officials and analysts fear the United States and Israel could renew direct strikes against Iran, whose nuclear facilities, energy infrastructure and missile arsenal were targeted in the February offensive that opened the war.

For now, the waters of the Gulf remain the sharpest edge of the conflict — and every claim of a burning tanker moves the price of oil.