Iran Reports Seven Tankers Hit in Strait of Hormuz as War Disrupts Gulf Shipping and Daily Life

Iran's state television reported that seven oil tankers were struck by attacks or hit naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz overnight Thursday, possibly the largest single-day number so far. The strait has been a war zone since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on 28 February. Arab Gulf states have absorbed the brunt of Iranian drone and missile strikes and face mounting economic costs. With limited prospects for a US-Iran settlement, Gulf states have used Oman as an intermediary in talks with Iran aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the strait to commercial shipping. Ferries still run between the Iranian mainland and Hormuz Island, though passenger numbers are down and crossings are more dangerous, according to ferry captain Farouq, who said he has heard explosions for months.

The alternative outlet, Responsible Statecraft, takes a policy view, centering Gulf states' costs and Omani-mediated diplomacy and arguing for a new approach. The right-leaning Newsmax leads with Iranian state television's tanker-strike figures. The left-leaning Guardian reports from a Bandar Abbas ferry, featuring the captain and passengers. All three describe a strait disrupted by the war.