Two Projectiles Hit a Tanker Off Saudi Arabia as Iran Claims Its Mines Struck Two More Near Hormuz

An oil tanker loads crude at the Al Basrah Oil Terminal in the Persian Gulf in 2005 (file photo; not a vessel in this report). Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Eben Boothby, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Two unidentified projectiles struck the port side of a tanker about 72 nautical miles east of Khafji, Saudi Arabia, at 23:47 GMT Sunday, the British military’s maritime trade office (UKMTO) said in a notice relayed by Mehr News Agency !Unverified claim, Mehr News Agency (Iranian state-affiliated media). All crew were accounted for and no environmental impact was reported. Hours earlier, UKMTO relayed a Mayday call reporting that a vessel had been hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, without naming the ship or describing damage, Anadolu Agency reported.

Key figures: 2 projectiles that hit a tanker east of khafji · 72 nm distance of the hit from khafji, saudi arabia · 3,133 west bank attacks counted in october

Iran’s Guards claim mine strikes

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy then claimed that two oil tankers, one of them a supertanker, hit naval mines on a “southern route” through Hormuz that it calls unauthorized, after switching off their tracking systems, Mehr reported !Unverified claim, Mehr News Agency (Iranian state-affiliated media). The Guards said the supertanker was on fire and both ships had stopped. No owner, flag state or maritime agency had confirmed that account in the sources checked, and it was not clear whether either ship was the one in the Hormuz Mayday.

Guards spokesman Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi posted an image of vessels and drones on X with the words “They sank!”, which Mehr described as a reply to the commander of U.S. Central Command, according to Mehr !Unverified claim, Mehr News Agency (Iranian state-affiliated media). Iranian media also reported that a ship captain from Abadan, Nasser Ebrahimi Nejadian, was killed by shrapnel in a U.S. attack on a vessel in the Gulf on Oct. 30, Mehr said. U.S. forces had not commented in the sources checked. Earlier shipping incidents are logged on our Iran war tracker.

Netanyahu presses for strikes after the U.S. vote

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing President Donald Trump to strike Iran immediately after Tuesday’s midterm elections, Axios reported Sunday, citing an Israeli and a U.S. source, Iran International reported. The two leaders spoke by phone Saturday; the Israeli source described the call as “tough.” Trump confirmed the call on Sunday and called it “a very good talk,” without giving details, Anadolu reported. Israel kept its highest state of alert on the eve of the U.S. vote, Israeli media reported, according to Anadolu. The briefing on U.S. strike options that preceded the call is covered in our report on Iran strike options.

In Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said messages with Washington continue through mediators and that the Strait of Hormuz cannot reopen unless the United States lifts its naval blockade. “The ball is now in the US court,” he said, Anadolu reported. Iran’s two-day plan for ending the war is detailed in today’s Iran Daily Briefing.

China stepped into the diplomacy. Ali Bagheri, deputy for international affairs at Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, met Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, and Wang said dialogue is the only way to end the conflict, Mehr reported !Unverified claim, Mehr News Agency (Iranian state-affiliated media). China’s special envoy for Middle East affairs will visit Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia this month, Mehr said.

Houthis and Saudi Arabia trade fire

The Saudi-led coalition said it carried out an operation Sunday morning to “neutralize” Houthi resources used for ballistic missiles and drones, without naming targets, Anadolu reported. Its air defenses intercepted a Houthi missile and a drone aimed at the kingdom on Sunday, the coalition said, and another ballistic missile aimed at the southern region on Monday, according to the coalition. Saudi Civil Defense sounded alerts in Abha, Khamis Mushait and Taif, Anadolu reported, and later in Jazan and Najran before giving the all-clear, with no casualties reported.

Yemen’s army spokesman said nearly 500 Houthi fighters were “neutralized” in 1,272 operations over 24 hours, a figure not independently confirmed, Anadolu reported. Yemen’s government-run Saba news agency said a Houthi missile struck the Al-Suqya health center in Lahj province, killing and wounding at least 20 civilians, according to Anadolu !Unverified claim, Saba (Yemeni government-run media). The Houthis had not commented. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “appalled” by the death of U.N. human rights staff member Mohammed Ibrahim al-Shami in Houthi detention, Anadolu reported.

Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank

Lebanon’s state news agency said Israeli artillery hit the area around Ibl al-Saqi and the towns of Mansouri and Majdal Zoun early Monday, Anadolu reported. In Gaza, a medical source said Israeli fire killed four Palestinians and wounded 10, according to Anadolu. Hebron’s governor said Israeli forces had withdrawn from the city after an operation that began Oct. 23, Anadolu reported. Jordan’s King Abdullah II told parliament that “Israeli expansionist ambitions remain the greatest threat to the region’s future,” Anadolu reported.

In Israel, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s party said it will recommend that President Isaac Herzog task Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government, Anadolu reported. Eisenkot said Netanyahu’s bid to “disown the election results” had failed, according to Anadolu.

In Iran, lawmaker Manouchehr Mottaki said parliament would vote unanimously to reconsider membership of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the Leader agreed, Mehr reported !Unverified claim, Mehr News Agency (Iranian state-affiliated media). Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to the Leader, wrote that “the geography of the threat no longer determines the geography of the response,” Mehr said.

By the numbers

A Palestinian government body, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, counted 3,133 attacks by Israeli forces and settlers across the occupied West Bank in October, up 52.8% from September, Anadolu reported. It attributed 1,764 attacks to Israeli forces and 1,369 to settlers. Settler attacks rose 111.6% from 647 in September, the commission said. By The Boston Report’s calculation from those figures, September’s total was about 2,050, including about 1,400 by Israeli forces. These are figures from one party to the conflict and have not been independently verified.

Watch for the identities of the tankers hit off Khafji and in Hormuz, any U.S. decision on strikes after Tuesday’s vote, and the Chinese envoy’s stops in the region. Today’s trade war report covers oil prices and Gulf LNG shipping, and the information war report examines the Guards’ tanker claims.

Sources

• Mehr News Agency: Two unknown projectiles struck tanker off Saudi Arabia
• Anadolu Agency: Vessel reportedly struck by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz: UK maritime agency
• Mehr News Agency: Two non-compliant oil tankers detonate, burn in Hormuz Strait
• Mehr News Agency: They sank!: IRGC spox to delusions of terrorist CENTCOM cmdr.
• Mehr News Agency: Iranian ship captain martyred in US attack on vessel in PG
• Iran International: Netanyahu pressing Trump to strike Iran immediately after midterms – Axios
• Anadolu Agency: Trump favors diplomacy with Iran as Netanyahu urges strikes immediately after Tuesday's US midterms: Report
• Anadolu Agency: Israel maintains highest state of alert on eve of US midterm elections
• Anadolu Agency: Iran says it continues exchanging messages with US through mediators
• Mehr News Agency: Dep. sec. of Iran SNSC meets China's top diplomat in Beijing
• Mehr News Agency: China envoy to visit Iran, Saudi Arabia and Oman
• Anadolu Agency: Saudi-led coalition launches operation to 'neutralize' Houthi military resources in Yemen
• Anadolu Agency: Saudi-led coalition intercepts Houthi missile, drone targeting kingdom
• Anadolu Agency: Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted Houthi ballistic missile targeting southern region
• Anadolu Agency: Saudi Arabia briefly activates emergency alerts in 3 cities amid hostilities with Yemen's Houthis
• Anadolu Agency: Saudi Arabia gives all-clear after security alerts in Jazan, Najran amid tensions with Houthis
• Anadolu Agency: Yemeni army says nearly 500 Houthis 'neutralized' in latest operations
• Anadolu Agency: 20 civilians killed, injured in Houthi missile attack on health center in Yemen: Media
• Anadolu Agency: UN chief condemns death of staff member in Houthi detention in Yemen
• Anadolu Agency: Lebanon reports Israeli artillery shelling, gunfire in south despite US deal
• Anadolu Agency: Israeli fire kills 4 Palestinians, injures 10 amid Gaza ceasefire violations
• Anadolu Agency: West Bank's Hebron governor announces Israeli forces' withdrawal from city
• Anadolu Agency: Jordan's king calls Israel's expansionist ambitions 'biggest threat' to region's future
• Anadolu Agency: Former Israeli Prime Minister Bennett's party backs Eisenkot to form next government
• Anadolu Agency: Eisenkot says Netanyahu's bid to discredit Israeli election results has 'failed'
• Mehr News Agency: MPs to vote for NPT pullout unanimously if Leader agrees
• Mehr News Agency: Leader's advisor stresses shift in Iran's defensive doctrine
• Anadolu Agency: Palestinians report more than 3,100 attacks by Israeli army, occupiers in occupied West Bank in October

Additional sources

• Mehr: Senior MP warns US of devastating response if attacked
• Iran International: Iran's nuclear bomb debate gains ground on official platforms
• Iran International: Iran rejects nuclear talks despite ongoing mediation with US
• Anadolu: Arab League calls for international probe into treatment of Gaza detainees