Iran says three ships caught fire in Strait of Hormuz while U.S. rejects drone story

Iranian state media reported on Thursday that three oil tankers struck mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz. The Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that the vessels attempted to exit the waterway through an unauthorized route. The report did not name the ships or list casualty counts. Tensions in the region have risen amid fears that military action between the U.S., Israel, and Iran could resume.

The Iranian navy claimed the tankers turned off their radar and navigation systems while ignoring warnings. It said the damaged vessels were abandoned off the southern coast of the strait. A British military monitor reported seeing a ship on fire while transiting the area. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center noted that the status of the crew and the extent of the damage remain unclear. It was not immediately confirmed whether the burning vessel was one of the three cited by Iran.

In a related development, the U.S. military denied a claim that Iran captured an American drone. Iranian state television said the Revolutionary Guard detected an MQM-170 Outlaw drone and took over its control systems. The network said the drone was landed intact in Iranian territory. U.S. Central Command called the report false. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the command, stated that the Revolutionary Guard has repeatedly lied out of desperation. Iran made a similar claim in 2011 regarding an RQ-170 Sentinel drone.

In Israel, citizens are waiting for final election results scheduled for Thursday evening. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party have pushed allegations that Arab-led parties stole the election. Final results are expected to show that Netanyahu’s bloc has lost its majority in parliament. No party has secured the 61 seats needed to control the Knesset. Netanyahu cited a Shin Bet request to investigate foreign interference, though the request did not specifically name Arab-led parties.

In Yemen, the Houthi-run Health Ministry said a Saudi strike killed 12 people and critically wounded three others in Taiz. The ministry said the strike hit two homes belonging to the same family. The Associated Press could not independently verify the figures. A separate strike hit a paint factory late Wednesday, according to a Houthi-run human rights body. The attack caused a large fire that could release toxic gases into the soil and groundwater near the city.

In Gaza, health officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said an Israeli strike on a civilian vehicle killed two people and wounded another in central Gaza on Thursday. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment. The death toll in Gaza has increased nearly every day since a fragile ceasefire was agreed upon in October 2025. More than 1,550 Palestinians have been killed in strikes since that date, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.