Iran says four tankers hit in Hormuz as Trump declares US no longer needs a deal with Tehran

Iran's armed forces said on Thursday that four oil tankers had been hit by explosions in the Strait of Hormuz on 11 and 12 November, saying the vessels had ignored warnings and sailed into areas Tehran regards as restricted. The claims could not be independently verified, Reuters reported.

On the same day, US President Donald Trump said in a social media post that Washington did not need a deal with Iran, a sharp shift in tone after recent signs that talks to end the eight-month war might resume.

What Iran says happened

According to Iranian statements carried by state media, the Revolutionary Guards' navy said on Wednesday that two supertankers were disabled by blasts after taking what it called an unauthorised route. On Thursday afternoon, Iran's regular army said two more tankers struck mines in the eastern part of the strait after switching off their radar, and that both caught fire. Iranian state television aired footage it said showed the incidents. None of the ships was named.

Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre said a vessel leaving the strait was hit by an unidentified projectile on Wednesday about 14 nautical miles north-west of Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, causing an engine-room fire. Its crew were evacuated. At least 10 ships were hit in the first 10 days of November, and October saw 37 attacks, the highest monthly figure since the conflict began in late February, according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, as cited by Reuters.

Trump changes course on talks

Trump wrote that the US did not need a deal and that "those days have long since passed", arguing that Washington already held Iranian funds and the strait. He also told Vance, who has been involved in efforts to end the war, to give his full attention to alleged fraud in Democratic-run cities and states, The National and Asharq Al-Awsat reported.

The post came a day after The Wall Street Journal reported that Vance was weighing face-to-face talks with Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei. Rezaei and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi both rejected reports of such a meeting, Iran International reported, with Rezaei saying Iran was not negotiating with the US and that the strait would remain closed until Tehran's conditions were met. Vance's office did not respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters.

Why it matters for India

The Strait of Hormuz is the main outlet for Gulf crude and gas, and India relies heavily on supplies from the region. Oil prices had eased this week on hopes of de-escalation, but continuing attacks on tankers and a hardening of positions in Washington and Tehran add fresh uncertainty for importers, shipping firms and the many Indian seafarers who crew vessels in the Gulf.