Day 228 of the WarTuesday, October 13, 2026

Day 228 — Iran's Navy Says a 'Violating' Tanker Caught Fire in Hormuz; IRGC Vows to Sink U.S. Warships and CENTCOM Says It 'Has No Navy'; Report Says Netanyahu Urged a New Strike

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Iran

Haalvsh reported a new clash with light, semi-heavy and heavy weapons between the IRGC and armed men in the Chah Ahmad area of Taftan on Tuesday, with reinforcements rushed in; IRGC-linked Tasnim and Fars claimed a 'terrorist team house' was destroyed and three 'terrorists' killed, per RadioFarda.source
Haalvsh said two mines exploded on the route of an IRGC and Fatemiyoun convoy in the Pirsuran area of Zahedan County and that about 18 motorcycles carrying Fatemiyoun fighters were ambushed, with more than 20 killed or wounded, per IranWire.source
In the past week two police officers were killed in Bampur, the police headquarters in Golshan was attacked and Farayab's prevention-police chief was killed, RadioFarda said; on Monday the judiciary announced the execution of Omar Darastaran on charges of Jaish al-Adl membership.source
HRANA reported that the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of Evin political prisoner Amirhassan Akbari-Monfared, issued by Judge Abolghasem Salavati for 'baghy' (armed rebellion) through alleged MEK membership; he was notified on Oct. 11, per Iran International.source

US / Coalition

After the IRGC navy commander claimed Hormuz is under IRGC control and said 'we await the approach of U.S. warships to sink them,' CENTCOM replied that he 'has no navy,' that U.S. and partner forces control the strait, and that they helped move over 19 million barrels of crude through it the previous day.source
Israel's Channel 12, citing U.S. and Israeli officials, reported that Netanyahu urged Trump last week to launch a large new operation against Iran, citing its nuclear moves; Trump was initially inclined but cooled, and the IDF and CENTCOM are on high alert. Trump said a decision would come 'very soon,' per Iran International.source
Vortexa said the U.S. blockade has kept Iran's seaborne crude exports at zero in October, with 43 million barrels trapped west of Hormuz and LNG exports down 48% month-on-month; its maritime risk director said the blockade 'has done what years of sanctions could not,' per Iran International.source
Marking the U.S. Navy's 251st birthday, Trump called the blockade an 'impenetrable steel wall' in the Strait of Hormuz and 'another historic achievement' of the Navy, LiveIranNews reported.source

Gulf & Naval

The Iranian army's navy said a 'violating' tanker that had switched off its tracking systems and tried to cross a 'prohibited area' was damaged and caught fire in the eastern Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, and urged ships to coordinate with Iran's armed forces for 'safe passage,' per Iran International.source
UKMTO said in two separate warnings on Tuesday evening that a container ship and an oil tanker had been struck by 'unidentified projectiles' in the Strait of Hormuz, citing verified sources, without naming the attackers or giving details of damage or casualties, per Iran International.source
LiveIranNews relayed initial, unverified reports of an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz after the IRGC navy allegedly fired a cruise missile at a vessel; the ship's identity, the extent of the damage and any casualties remained unknown.source
The Wall Street Journal reported that Tehran is bolstering its defenses, mobilizing supporters and threatening a broader response against the U.S. and its Gulf allies, as attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz reached their highest level since the war began, per Iran International.source

Gulf & Naval

Footage showed thick smoke rising over Sanaa's Al-Sabaha central station after a reported Saudi airstrike on a Yemen Petroleum Company facility in Houthi-held territory, per Open Source Intel.source
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said three cruise missiles and two drones were downed over the Riyadh region and the south; Reuters, citing six sources, reported massive explosions near Aramco's Dhahran headquarters, with reports of a fire and an evacuation order that Aramco did not confirm.source
Trump said the Houthis 'are behaving very badly' and had re-emerged 'probably at the behest of Iran' to hit Saudi Arabia and drive up oil prices before the U.S. elections, warning: 'I'll be there after the Elections, and I will never forget!' LiveIranNews reported.source

Global

Iran's foreign ministry said it summoned the British ambassador, demanded that London hand over all evidence behind its claim of Iranian involvement in the Fairford plot, and warned Tehran would 'reconsider' bilateral relations if Britain fails to do so, per RadioFarda.source
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Iran's campaign of intimidation has spread far beyond the Middle East and joined the condemnation, noting the EU has already listed the IRGC as a terrorist organization and sanctioned Iranian officials over shipping and human rights, per Iran International.source
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told Tehran and the Houthis to end their destabilizing actions, urging Iran to return to the negotiating table, reopen the Strait of Hormuz permanently and without restrictions, and halt its military nuclear program, per Iran International.source
Amid the wave of condemnation, the head of Britain's domestic intelligence agency said Iran is seeking to target key security sites, including military bases in Britain and other countries, per Iran International.source

Sources