31.10.2026 14:32
Iran announced that it struck an "enemy-owned" unmanned naval vessel east of the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iranian officials, oil tankers that entered routes where passage was not permitted by turning off their tracking systems hit naval mines and caught fire; one of them is a giant tanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil. During hours of continued tension, a Qatari delegation also arrived in Tehran.
TEHRAN, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iran announced on Friday that it struck an "enemy-owned" unmanned surface vessel east of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials also reported that some oil tankers "in violation" in the strait caught fire after hitting naval mines.
According to a statement on the Iranian military's website, naval forces destroyed an unmanned surface vessel operating east of the strait.
TANKERS HITTING MINES CAUGHT FIRE
The statement said that two oil tankers that entered areas east of the strait where "entry is prohibited and dangerous" after turning off their tracking systems were damaged and caught fire after hitting naval mines.
The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a separate statement that two oil tankers, one east and the other west of the strait, tried to use routes not permitted for passage and were stopped in waters south of the strait.
The statement noted that a giant tanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil also caught fire after hitting naval mines on a route not permitted for passage in the strait.
QATARI DELEGATION ARRIVES IN TEHRAN
Meanwhile, according to Iran's official news agency IRNA, a Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments with senior Iranian officials.
The report said the delegation was led by one of the senior advisers to Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
The visit came after semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday that Iran had received a letter from U.S. Vice President JD Vance. According to reports in U.S. media, the letter aims to restart peace negotiations between the two countries and prevent a new war.