Iran says ship sinks after hitting mine in Strait of Hormuz

Iran said Wednesday that a cargo ship sank after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions continued to rise across the Middle East amid reports of attacks on shipping, Saudi oil facilities and Gaza.

Meanwhile, a senior Iranian official said the country must remain prepared for war even as it negotiates with the United States. In Gaza, an Israeli strike killed a woman, according to hospital officials.

Iran says cargo ship sank after hitting naval mine

A cargo ship sank after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps navy said, marking the first time Iran has reported a ship sinking after hitting a mine during the war.

Meanwhile, shipping officials said two Singapore-registered cargo vessels were hit by “unknown projectiles” while passing through the strait on Tuesday and Wednesday. One vessel sank, while the other reached safety.

All crew members were evacuated from the first vessel, and no injuries were reported in either incident, Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority said.

“Such attacks are unprovoked, unjustifiable, and a breach of international law,” the authority said.

However, it remained unclear whether the Singapore-registered vessel that sank was the same ship Iran said had struck a mine.

Iranian officials provided few details, including about the fate of the crew. State television quoted a statement from the Revolutionary Guard saying the ship was travelling along what it described as an illegal and dangerous route when it struck the mine on Wednesday morning.

The broadcast showed an unidentified ship tilted in the water and emitting a thick plume of smoke. It said the vessel was carrying 2,500 containers. The Associated Press could not independently verify the images.

Iran has repeatedly warned ships against passing through the strait without its approval. The US military has been guiding vessels through the waterway along a route closer to Oman’s coast.

Houthi strike hits Saudi oil giant Aramco’s headquarters

The headquarters of Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco was hit in an overnight Houthi strike, damaging the offices of its chief executive and other senior officials, two regional officials said.

The attack highlighted the Iran-backed rebels’ continued ability to strike high-profile targets.

There were no casualties in the attack, which targeted the top three floors of a building used by senior executives in Dhahran, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.

Earlier on Wednesday, residents reported fresh explosions in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, with suspicion again quickly falling on Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen.

Smoke rising in recent days from some of Saudi Arabia’s most sensitive facilities has unsettled the region and global oil markets, while raising further questions about US President Donald Trump’s position. Trump has said he is assessing whether the United States should join Saudi strikes against the Houthis.

Iran must prepare for war despite US talks: Qalibaf

Iran must remain prepared for war even as it negotiates with the United States, the country’s parliament speaker said Wednesday.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said in a televised speech that Iran’s main concern was preventing another US attack. However, he said, signing an agreement with Washington would not guarantee that the United States would honour its commitments.

“They break their promises,” Qalibaf said.

He said Iran must therefore be ready to fight “against a bullying enemy” and added that the country must “truly fight courageously on the battlefield.”

“That is when we will have achieved sustainable deterrence,” he said.

“America must be punished. America must change its behavior. It must understand that it has to come to terms with the Iranian people,” he added.

Israeli strike kills woman in Gaza City

An Israeli strike on an apartment in Gaza City killed a woman early Wednesday, officials at Shifa Hospital said.

Israel’s military said it had targeted a Hamas militant but was still assessing the outcome of the strike. It provided no further details.

More than a year after a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect, Israel continues to launch near-daily deadly strikes on the Palestinian enclave.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 1,490 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war began.

The ministry’s figures are generally considered reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. Although it does not distinguish between civilians and militants among those killed, it says women and children account for nearly half of the deaths.