Iran war widens: Tankers hit mines in Hormuz; US expands blockade

• Maritime tensions escalated as the UAE rescued 22 crew members from a burning cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, while Iran’s IRGC reported that two oil tankers had struck sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz

• The US expanded pressure on Iran by launching Task Force Iron Gate to disrupt its land-based supply routes, extending the blockade of Iranian ports. Meanwhile, explosions were reported across southern Iran, though their cause remained unclear

• In Yemen, at least 33 people were reportedly killed and 39 injured in air strikes near Sanaa, according to Houthi media, amid renewed regional fighting

The conflict involving Iran, the United States and its regional allies intensified on Sunday, with fresh maritime incidents in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz, reported explosions in southern Iran and deadly air strikes in Yemen.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said its National Guard had rescued all 22 crew members of a cargo ship that caught fire in the Gulf of Oman. The crew received first aid and were handed over to the relevant authorities. All were reported to be in stable condition. The cause of the fire has not been established.

The rescue came amid heightened maritime tensions after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said two oil tankers had caught fire after striking sea mines while attempting to navigate what it described as an unauthorised route through the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian military said the vessels had suffered severe damage. Independent confirmation of the mine strikes was not immediately available.

In a significant expansion of its pressure campaign against Tehran, the United States announced the creation of Task Force Iron Gate to disrupt Iran’s land-based supply networks. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the initiative would prevent the movement of advanced weapons, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials and illicit revenue across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea.

The new initiative extends Washington’s existing naval blockade of Iranian ports. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the task force would reinforce the blockade's effectiveness. The US military also said it had disabled a commercial cargo vessel, identified as the St Kitts-flagged M/V Huda, after it allegedly attempted to breach the blockade in the Gulf of Oman.

Meanwhile, explosions were reported on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz and in the southern Iranian cities of Jask, Sirik and Bandar Abbas. Iranian state media reported the blasts, but officials had not confirmed missile strikes or established their cause. The reports came days after US strikes on Qeshm Island, which President Donald Trump had described as limited.

The conflict also spilled over into Yemen, where at least 33 people were reportedly killed and 39 injured in air strikes on a village near the capital, Sanaa, on Saturday. The Houthi-run Saba news agency attributed the strikes to Saudi Arabia and said they hit the village of Bani Hushaysh, east of Sanaa. Most of the victims were reportedly women and children.

Reuters said it could not independently verify the casualty figures. Saudi Arabia’s Center for International Communication said it was investigating the reports.

The renewed violence comes amid a breakdown of the 2022 UN-brokered truce between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with fighting resuming in July. The latest developments underline the widening regional ramifications of the US-Iran conflict, with commercial shipping, energy routes and neighbouring countries increasingly caught in the crisis.

With agency inputs