Iran claims new tanker hits in Hormuz as Trump says no deal needed

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Friday, 13 November, that a tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) hit a naval mine and exploded in the Strait of Hormuz. The claim came a day after Iranian forces said four oil tankers had caught fire in and near the strait.

None of the ships has been named. Iran has not given their flags, owners or the condition of their crews, and Reuters reported that no details about the LNG tanker were available. Only one fire on a commercial ship near the strait has been reported by an independent source so far.

The claims came as President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States does not "need a deal" with Iran and told Vice President JD Vance, who had been leading negotiations, to turn his attention elsewhere.

What Iran says happened

On Thursday, 12 November, Iran issued two separate statements. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said two tankers carrying more than four million barrels of oil caught fire after what it called an "accident". It said the ships were on a "prohibited path" despite "repeated warnings" from the Guards navy, according to the Times of Israel and Arab News.

Later that day, Iran's regular army said on state television that two other tankers it described as "in violation" caught fire east of the strait after hitting a naval mine. CBS News reported that the army blamed the United States for the fires.

On Friday the IRGC navy said an LNG tanker hit a mine and exploded while using an "unauthorised and dangerous route", according to state media cited by Reuters. Russia's TASS news agency reported that the IRGC said the vessel had tried to cross the eastern part of the strait "under the cover of US fighter jets".

What is confirmed and what is only claimed

On the record: Iran's statements exist and say what is described above. Trump's remarks were made publicly in a social media post and a broadcast interview.

Partly confirmed: CBS News cited the maritime security firm Ambrey as confirming that a strike caused a fire on a commercial ship near the strait, hours after the IRGC's "accident" statement. It is not clear which of Iran's claimed incidents, if any, this matches. It confirms one incident, not four.

Claimed only: the count of four oil tankers, the "accident" and mine explanations, the figure of four million barrels, the LNG explosion and the reference to US fighter jet cover. NewsWLD has not been able to verify ship identities or casualty reports through Reuters, AP or AFP.

Disputed: the mines. Tehran has repeatedly said ships struck mines, while the US military said recently that all mines had been cleared from the strait.

Iran's near-daily claims are hard to track. The IRGC said on 4 November that four tankers hit mines, and Iranian forces described further fires on 5 and 8 November. Al Arabiya has noted it was unclear whether separate reports referred to the same incidents. At least 10 ships were hit in the first 10 days of November, after 37 attacks on ships in October, the highest monthly total of the war, according to Washington Institute for Near East Policy data cited by Reuters.

Trump's position

In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump wrote that the US does not "need a deal" with Iran, according to CNN. He later said it would be a "defeat" to walk away with Iran's current government still in power, and told Vance to give "complete and total attention" to crime and corruption in Democratic-run states and cities.

In an interview with Salem News Channel, Trump was asked whether he would use force again if US allies or ships in Hormuz were threatened. "No, no hesitation," he said, according to Armenpress. He said "we totally control it", referring to the strait, and that "nobody has been killed in the last five months". He also said "it's possible I would do it right now", while adding that he saw no current reason to use force.

On 8 November Trump told reporters a return to open war was "highly unlikely" but that he could still strike, CNBC reported. He said three US aircraft carriers were in the region.

Mixed signals for shipping and oil

The strait normally carries about one-fifth of global oil consumption, and before the war it handled a similar share of LNG supply. Since April the US has blockaded Iranian ports and escorted tankers, which keeps Iran's exports cut off while other traffic continues.

Reuters has reported that attacks have continued despite rising traffic and expectations of de-escalation, and that those expectations have shown up in falling oil prices. Trump's statement that no deal is needed cuts against that trend. Reports of continued contact between Vance and Iranian officials could not be confirmed by NewsWLD and conflict with CNN's account that Trump removed Vance from the talks.

That gap matters for shipowners and insurers, which price war-risk cover on the likelihood of attacks. A clear end to diplomacy, or confirmation of new strikes, could raise freight and insurance costs and push crude prices back up. Confirmed contact between the two sides would support the recent easing. NewsWLD has not seen current premium or freight data.

A confirmed LNG incident would reach beyond oil markets, since gas buyers in Asia and Europe rely on cargoes that pass through Hormuz.

What comes next

Ship names, flags and crew status are expected from bodies such as the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency, the Joint Maritime Information Center, private security firms and flag states. Those reports would show whether Iran's claims describe new incidents. It also remains unclear who in Washington is now handling the Iran file after Vance's reassignment.