Strait of Hormuz tensions: Iran says it targets ships every night as Putin offers to help end the war

Key takeaways

• A senior officer in Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) navy says Iranian forces carry out operations every night in the Strait of Hormuz against ships Tehran says break its rules.
• Iranian media reported "massive explosions" in the southern part of the strait, citing unnamed military sources. This has not been independently confirmed.
• The New York Times reports the Pentagon has drawn up plans for a three-day strike campaign against Iran. President Trump says he will not attack Iran before the 3 November midterm elections and calls talks with Tehran "productive".
• Vladimir Putin met Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian in Turkmenistan and said Russia is ready to do "everything" in its power to help settle the war.

What is happening in the strait

The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is one of the world's most important routes for oil and gas. Since the US–Israeli war on Iran began on 28 February, Iran has stepped up attacks on shipping there.

On Thursday, Ali Mohammadi, political deputy of the IRGC navy, said Iranian forces act every night against vessels that Tehran considers to be "violating" its rules, Al Jazeera reported.

Early on Friday, Iran's Fars news agency reported "massive explosions" in the southern strait, quoting unnamed military sources. There were no details on what caused them, and we have not seen independent confirmation.

The danger is showing up in pay: Al Jazeera reports that some tanker captains are being offered around $100,000 in base pay plus $50,000 per crossing to sail through.

Washington: strike plans, but "no attack before the midterms"

According to The New York Times, which quoted unnamed officials, the Pentagon has prepared options for a three-day campaign targeting Iran's missile and drone arsenal, energy facilities and military command centres. The report says Trump ordered the plans even though he has repeatedly turned down proposals to restart major combat.

Trump said on Thursday that the US would not attack Iran before the 3 November midterms and that Washington was holding "productive discussions" with Tehran.

Other signs of the scale of the US effort:

• The US sent a third aircraft carrier towards Iran earlier this month.
• The carrier USS Abraham Lincoln returned to San Diego on 8 October after a 321-day deployment supporting the war.

On the nuclear question, US Vice President JD Vance has asked Iran for a "meaningful" cut in its uranium enrichment as part of any deal. Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi replied that Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons and that its enrichment "is unrelated to the US".

Moscow steps in

Putin and Pezeshkian met in Turkmenistan on Thursday, ahead of a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) that begins on Friday.

• Putin said Russia was "ready to do everything that is in our power" to help settle the situation, and that Iran had made "real efforts" to end the war.
• Pezeshkian called talks with Washington "meaningless" earlier this week and said: "every time we negotiate with the United States, they attack again."

Russia and Iran have grown closer since 2022. Ukraine and Western countries accuse Iran of supplying Russia with Shahed drones and missiles, and Russia has been accused of sharing data with Iran for attacks on US targets.

Oil and the Gulf

Saudi Arabia's central bank governor, Ayman Al-Sayari, said the kingdom's East-West Pipeline — which carries oil from eastern fields to the Red Sea coast — is moving about 5.8–6 million barrels, helping make up for disruption in Hormuz and the Red Sea. The pipeline was briefly shut last month after drone attacks.

What to watch

• Whether Iran or any shipping authority confirms what caused the reported explosions.
• Any outcome on Iran from the CIS summit in Turkmenistan.
• US–Iran talks, and whether Washington's pledge not to strike before 3 November holds.

This is a developing story. We will update it as more is confirmed.