Iran says a ship sank after striking a mine in Strait of Hormuz, and
other Middle East developments
[October 15, 2026]
Iran said Wednesday that a cargo ship has sunk after hitting a naval
mine in the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, a top Iranian official said Iran must be prepared for war
even as it is negotiating with the U.S. And a hospital in Gaza said a
woman was killed in an Israeli strike.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Wednesday. Read our full
coverage here.
Iran says a cargo ship sank after hitting a naval mine
A cargo ship sank after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz,
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps navy said. It was the first time Iran
had reported a ship sinking after hitting a mine during the war.
Shipping officials, meanwhile, said two Singapore-registered cargo
vessels had been hit by “unknown projectiles” as they went through the
strait on Tuesday and Wednesday. One sank, while the other reached
safety. All crew members were evacuated from the first ship, and no
injuries were reported in either incident, the Maritime and Port
Authority of Singapore said.
“Such attacks are unprovoked, unjustifiable, and a breach of
international law,” the authority said.
It was unclear, however, if the Singapore-flagged vessel that sank was
the same ship Iran said had struck a mine.
There were few details from Iranian officials, including about the fate
of the crew. State television quoted a Guard statement saying the ship
was traveling on what it called an illegal and dangerous route when it
hit the mine Wednesday morning. The Associated Press couldn't
independently verify the images.
The unidentified ship, which was shown tilted in the water and spewing a
thick plume of smoke, was carrying 2,500 containers, the broadcast said.
Iran has repeatedly warned ships against trying to transit through the
strait without its approval. The U.S. military has been guiding ships
through the strait on a route nearer to Oman's coast.
Houthi rebel strike hits Saudi oil company's headquarters
The headquarters of the Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco were hit in
an overnight Houthi strike, two regional officials said, damaging the
offices of the firm's chief executive and other top officials. It was
the latest demonstration of the Iran-backed rebels’ ability to attack
high-profile targets.
There were no casualties in the attack, which the officials said
targeted the top three floors of a building used by top executives in
the city of Dhahran. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they
weren't authorized to discuss the matter with the media.
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Earlier Wednesday, new explosions were heard in Riyadh, the capital
of Saudi Arabia, residents said, as blame again quickly fell on
Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.
The sight of smoke rising in recent days from some of Saudi Arabia’s
most sensitive facilities has rattled the region and global oil
markets while increasing questions for U.S. President Donald Trump,
who has said he is evaluating whether the U.S. should join Saudi
strikes against the Houthis.
— By Samy Magdy in Cairo
Top Iran official says country must prepare for war as it
negotiates
Iran must be prepared for war even as it negotiates with the U.S.,
the country’s parliament speaker said Wednesday.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said in a televised speech that his
country’s main concern is preventing the United States from
attacking again. But, he added, a signed agreement with Washington
is no guarantee.
“They break their promises,” said Qalibaf. As a result, Iran must be
prepared to fight “against a bullying enemy," and "we 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."
Israeli strike in Gaza City kills a woman
An Israeli strike on an apartment in Gaza City killed one woman
early Wednesday, according to officials at Shifa hospital.
Israel’s military said it struck a Hamas militant but was still
assessing the strike's outcome, without elaborating.
Just over a year since a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas
went into effect, Israel still launches near-daily deadly strikes on
the Palestinian enclave.
More than 1,490 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since
the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, according to Gaza's Health
Ministry. Its figures are seen as generally reliable by U.N.
agencies and independent experts. It doesn’t give a breakdown of
civilians and militants, but says almost half the dead are women and
children.
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