Four oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's military said Wednesday, after it warned no one would benefit from a return to war. "Four non-compliant oil tankers attempting to pass through the prohibited passage south of the Strait of Hormuz were destroyed after striking naval mines and are still burning," Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said in a statement quoted by state TV. "Two other non-compliant ships or vessels have also been halted," they said The attacks come even as a diplomatic push is underway aimed at reaching a deal between the U.S. and Iran.
Indirect talks via Qatari, Pakistani and Saudi mediators are understood to be underway. Although both sides previously expressed some hope of reaching an agreement, Iran's Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council on Tuesday cast doubt on progress toward a deal, calling the U.S. response to their demands "not convincing." Iran's chief negotiator said Wednesday the midterm election results mean Americans have rejected the war with his country. "Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a post on X.
He cited the increased cost of living or "conscience" as two of the possible reasons for the widespread Republican losses in Tuesday's vote. "If the U.S. govt betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare," Ghalibaf added. President Trump acknowledged on Tuesday night that the war with Iran was partially responsible for the Republicans' defeat in the midterm elections.
In a phone interview with Fox News, Mr. Trump said "part of it was Iran" when explaining the result of the elections, but that "at the same time, people understand the importance of what I've done." In a separate interview with the The Wall Street Journal, the president reiterated his comments and added that he does not regret starting the war with Tehran. I would have done it again," he told the newspaper.
Qatari mediators expect feedback within 36 hours from Iranian and U.S. negotiators on new ideas aimed at getting both sides closer to a deal to end the war, reported Tuesday, citing an official briefed on the talks. "The mediators came up with a new suggestion to move the process along, and it's currently being studied by the two sides," the official told . Efforts to reach a deal to prevent a return to fighting between Iran and the U.S. have ramped up recently.
President Trump has said he is still open to an agreement, but has also threatened to resume major U.S. strikes after Tuesday's midterm elections in the U.S. On the eve of the elections, Mr. Trump again expressed hope that an agreement could still be reached, claiming Tehran wanted a settlement "as soon as possible." Iranian officials declared Monday that the ball "is in the U.S. court" and they said Iran's core demands to end the war would not be altered.
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