Symbolic imageHormuz tanker fires continue as IMO says attack count is understated
Iran's Revolutionary Guards say 11 tankers violating its passage rules have caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz since 25 October. The UN maritime agency says the true number of attacks may be higher.
The IRGC Navy said on X that some of the tankers sank. IMO head Arsenio Dominguez told the agency's council on Monday, 2 November, that at least 125 ships have been attacked in and around the strait since the US-Iran war began in late February, 34 of them in October, the highest monthly count. He said the real total may be higher because ships with false flags or fraudulent registries often do not report attacks. About 12 ships a day still cross, and 350 to 400 remain stranded in the Gulf.
Mine clearance unconfirmed
Dominguez could not confirm that mines allegedly laid by Iran are cleared. US Central Command's Admiral Brad Cooper said last week that main routes are mine-free, which Iran disputes; the IMO still advises ships to stay away.
Toll or contribution
The IMO rejects an Iranian toll, but Dominguez said an Iranian-Omani plan for voluntary contributions "could be viable". Nothing official has emerged yet.
Other opinions
TASS relays the IRGC's "violators" framing; Al Jazeera stresses the strait stays dangerous despite US claims it is open.