ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump on Thursday accused Iran of fabricating reports of attacks on commercial vessels to drive up oil prices ahead of the US midterm elections, amid escalating maritime tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
"Iran is doing everything they can to drive up the price of Oil prior to the U.S. Midterm Election," Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform, adding that Tehran is "making up fake hits, mines, and everything else, because more Oil is coming through the Hormuz Strait now than it did even prior to the beginning of the Conflict.”
His remarks come amid an escalation in attacks on commercial vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway linking the Persian Gulf to international shipping routes.
At least 26 attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters had been recorded as of Sunday, the highest monthly tally since the latest Iran war began on February 28, according to data compiled by the Washington Institute.
Maritime tensions have intensified as Iran and the United States vie for control of the strategic waterway following the outbreak of war involving Tehran, Washington and Israel in late February.
Several vessels have reportedly been struck by missiles, drones and other projectiles in recent weeks, with some incidents causing fires, casualties and significant damage.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Thursday that its naval blockade against Iran had reached its 100th day.
"This effort has helped prevent Iran from exporting at least $25 billion worth of crude oil and constrained the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)'s ability to fund proxy militias, criminal networks, and terrorism," the military command added.
Meanwhile, the IRGC Navy said earlier Thursday that it had tracked and pursued four vessels allegedly “deceived” by the US military into using an “unauthorized passage.”
The Iranian force said it had detected the vessels conducting ship-to-ship oil transfers in the north-central Persian Gulf, claiming that "all four ships were struck simultaneously and are now burning.”
It also claimed that three other vessels had struck naval mines in the western Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night, catching fire and coming to a halt.
The claims could not be independently verified.
"The aggressive US military must know that if this trend continues, the scope of confrontation will expand to include their aggressor bases in the region," the IRGC statement warned, describing the message as a “serious warning.”
The United States reinstated its naval blockade of Iranian ports in mid-July following Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran. The strategic waterway normally carries roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption.
The restrictions have raised concerns over global energy supplies and regional security.
CENTCOM said Saturday that its forces had redirected 138 commercial vessels to enforce the blockade since its reinstatement.
RELATED: IRGC issues ‘serious warning’ to the US over Strait of Hormuz crossings
.webp&w=3840&q=75)
