Updated

Iran's IRGC Navy said on October 22 that several vessels, including a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude, were hit by naval mines and caught fire in and near the Strait of Hormuz, after accusing vessels of illegal oil transfers. The IRGC vowed Iran's control over the strategic waterway would endure and warned the United States that continued provocations could trigger a wider response against American regional bases, while a senior commander separately threatened undersea internet cables in the strait if Iranian infrastructure is attacked. Iran's foreign ministry accused Washington of imposing a maritime blockade and demanded the UN Security Council condemn it, with spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei saying the US cannot blame Iran for insecurity it caused through its own aggression. Despite the attacks, data cited by Al-Monitor showed Gulf oil exports through Hormuz and alternative routes surpassing prewar levels, averaging more than 24 million barrels a day last week.