Iran War Day 251: Ship Attacks Continue in Hormuz

The Iran War State of the Union: Iranian officials took credit for the Republicans’ Tuesday midterm losses. NORBERT SCHILLER/AFP via Getty Images Three oil tankers and a tugboat were on fire in the Strait of Hormuz Thursday after hitting mines, per Iranian media. The IRGC claimed that the ships were using “unauthorized” routes through the waterway, according to two reports from Iran’s state-affiliated Tasnim news agency. Subscribe Today Get daily emails in your inbox Ongoing Iranian pressure on shipping began pushing up oil prices, which had tumbled following the Democrats’ huge victory in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Brent crude opened Thursday at $94.62 per barrel and quickly began climbing toward $97 per barrel. AAA reported easing in consumer fuel costs, with national average prices per gallon of $4.10 for regular gas and $6.26 for diesel. Snarled energy markets remain the focal point of international concern. South Korea’s defense ministry announced Thursday that it was deploying ships to facilitate freedom of passage in the Hormuz, while ruling out the use of troops. Iranian officials took credit for the historic electoral losses for President Donald Trump’s Republican Party. In an X post Thursday morning, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s Parliament, taunted Vice President J.D. Vance, who on Wednesday posted a long statement arguing that Republicans had lost because of the war. “Losing gambler energy, can't walk away from the table. Boss is prepping the next war phase while America teeters on an Israel-First cliff,” Ghalibaf wrote. “Skip the TED talk. Why not say this to your boss?”