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Two tankers burn after hitting mines near Hormuz as loud blasts rock Riyadh
Iran's Revolutionary Guards say both ships were on fire after striking mines, while Saudi Arabia says its air defences stopped two Houthi missiles aimed at the capital.
Key points
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards said two tankers were on fire after hitting naval mines at and near the Strait of Hormuz.
- Loud explosions in Riyadh were two Houthi missiles intercepted by coalition air defences, and Saudi Civil Defense said the danger had passed.
- Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei warned that starting a war would bring a "devastating response".
Two oil tankers were burning near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday after reportedly striking naval mines, according to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, while Saudi Arabia said its air defences had intercepted two Houthi missiles over Riyadh.
Fires at sea
The two ships had tried to cross the strait with their tracking systems switched off, reports said. One was east of the strait and the other inside the waterway. The Guards said in a statement that fires broke out on both vessels and were still burning when it was issued. The names, flags and crews of the ships were not given, and there was no word on casualties.
Earlier on Sunday, Iranian media reported two explosions on Qeshm island near the strait. An Iranian official linked them to the strait, and state television suggested they may have been warning shots at vessels. The island was hit by US strikes on Saturday, which President Donald Trump called “minor”.
Blasts over the Saudi capital
Several loud explosions were heard in Riyadh in the morning, and residents were told of a “potential threat”. Civil Defense urged people to avoid gathering in groups and to seek shelter. Air defences of the Saudi-led coalition then detected and intercepted two missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi movement, and Saudi Civil Defense later said “the danger had passed”. No damage or injuries were reported in the first accounts.
Words from Tehran
On Saturday Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s National Security Council secretary, mocked Trump’s midterm losses on X, telling him “You lost the war and the election”. He also warned that starting a war would bring a “devastating response”.
Qatar says its mediation between Washington and Tehran continues, and it has reported notable progress. The Hormuz route, closed to most shipping for weeks, remains the centre of the dispute.