Day 235 of the WarTuesday, October 20, 2026
Day 235 — Iran's Army and IRGC Navies Each Claim a Tanker Fire in Hormuz as CENTCOM Says the Strait Is Fully Open; Netanyahu Says Toppling the Islamic Republic Is on the Mossad and IDF Agenda
Strait of HormuzIsrael · Ovda Air BaseTehranTehranIsfahan · Evin · Tehran
An Iran International Report Says the IRGC Spokesman Named Seven Submarine Internet Cables as Top Targets in a Next War and the Foreign Ministry Spokesman Called Trump's Response Insufficient; MP Hassan Nattaj Urges Mojtaba Khamenei to Issue a New Fatwa on Nuclear Weapons; IRGC-Affiliated Tasnim Claims Ukraine Has Deployed Thousands of Micro-Drones Around Iran
Iran- An Iran International report said that while the Foreign Ministry spokesman called Trump's response to Tehran's agreement proposal insufficient, the IRGC spokesman named seven submarine internet cables as the IRGC's primary targets in the next war, and that Tehran has warned it will fire missiles at 'the heart of Europe.'source
- MP Hassan Nattaj told Didban Iran that Mojtaba Khamenei should be asked to issue a new fatwa on producing nuclear weapons 'given the circumstances,' and claimed that through Hormuz Iran can leave the world helpless on energy 'so that they negotiate with us,' per Iran International.source
- IRGC-affiliated Tasnim, citing a 'security source,' claimed Ukraine has deployed drone forces with micro-drones in several countries around Iran, including thousands in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, and that Tehran sees this as part of hostile European and NATO measures and has a response in mind, per Iran International.source
RadioFarda Says Detained Protester Sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, Sentenced to Death and 25 Years, Are Among Three Sakharov Prize Finalists; An Informed Source Tells Iran International That Evin Hunger Striker Kazem Alinejad Baranlou Is in Critical Condition and Pressed for a 'Letter of Repentance'; IranWire Says Clerics Are Recording Schoolgirls' Voices
Iran- RadioFarda said Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, sisters detained since the Dey 1404 protests, were named on Monday among three finalists for the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize, 'representing all those persecuted' by the Islamic Republic; the winner is to be decided on Thursday, Oct. 22.source
- Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court has sentenced Taraneh to death and Romina to 25 years; both are among 16 defendants in Isfahan's 'Meydan-e Shohada' case, and on Oct. 15 Parliament President Metsola said they were tortured, raped and sexually abused to force one to confess, per RadioFarda.source
- An informed source told Iran International that Evin political prisoner Kazem Alinejad Baranlou, on a dry hunger strike over denied medical care, is in critical condition, that judicial officials are pressing him to write a 'letter of repentance' and that his contact with the outside has been cut.source
- IranWire said it has learned that clerics present in some Tehran girls' schools are recording students' voices during Q&A sessions without their families' knowledge or permission, adding to concerns over security and ideological control of schoolgirls; it spoke with teachers' union activist Esmail Abdi.source
Netanyahu Says Toppling the Islamic Republic Is Now on the Mossad and IDF Agenda, That Israel May Need to Attack Before Its Elections and That Trump Agrees; Axios Says Hegseth Met Netanyahu at Ovda Air Base, Which Israel's Channel 12 Confirmed and Reuters Says It Could Not Independently Confirm
US / Coalition- Netanyahu told Channel 14 that toppling the Islamic Republic is now on the Mossad and army's agenda and that he ordered it after dealing it a 'blow'; he said Israel may need to attack before the Oct. 27 elections, accused Iran and its proxies of trying to mount attacks to sway the vote and said Trump also agrees, per Iran International.source
- Netanyahu told i24News that Trump said to him 'I can only do this with you,' adding: 'Trump and I will act together and finish the Iran story'; he said Trump is willing to help topple the Islamic Republic and destroy its nuclear program, and called toppling it the only way to prevent repeated rounds of conflict, per Iran International.source
- Axios, citing two sources, said War Secretary Pete Hegseth met Netanyahu on Oct. 19 in an unannounced visit to Ovda air base, as the U.S. and Israel discuss a possible resumption of large-scale operations against Iran; Israel's Channel 12 confirmed it, but Reuters said it could not independently confirm it, per Iran International.source
- Iran International said U.S. fighters and refueling tankers are based at Ovda and the Pentagon declined to comment; Hegseth later posted a photo of his visit to CENTCOM troops, and Open Source Intel relayed his post: 'As always, it was an honor to visit our warfighters in CENTCOM today. The best of our country, on a historic mission.'source
Iran's Army Navy Claims a 'Violating' Tanker Caught Fire in Hormuz's Southern Corridor and the IRGC Navy Separately Claims a Supertanker Hit a Sea Mine, Neither Independently Verified per Iran International; CENTCOM Tells Al Jazeera the Strait Is Fully Open; Araghchi Says It Will Stay Closed Until a Deal
Gulf & Naval- Iran's Army Navy claimed it spotted a tanker that had caught fire in the 'forbidden zone' of Hormuz's southern corridor before noon Tuesday, calling it a 'violator' that had switched off its tracking systems; Open Source Intel cited initial reports that UAVs targeted it, and Iran International said it was not independently verified.source
- In a separate evening statement, the IRGC Navy claimed a supertanker carrying over 2 million barrels of crude exploded and caught fire south of Hormuz after hitting a sea mine, saying it had switched off its radar and tried to exit via the 'unauthorized' southern route; Iran International said this was not independently verified.source
- A CENTCOM spokesperson told Al Jazeera the Strait of Hormuz is fully open and safe, that 95% of ships have transited it successfully and that the U.S. and its partners control it while Iran keeps up 'unjustifiable' attacks; he said the U.S. is fully enforcing the blockade on Iran's trade, per Iran International.source
- Foreign Minister Araghchi told Iraq's Al-Akhbariya that Tehran and Oman have agreed on Hormuz shipping routes, pending international registration, and that routes were set for Iraqi ships; he said the strait will stay closed until a deal is reached and the U.S. must accept Iran's conditions for it to open, per Iran International.source
LiveIranNews Says Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir Met Pezeshkian, Qalibaf and Rezaee in Tehran, Where Qalibaf Accused Washington of Breaching the Islamabad Memorandum; Pezeshkian Tells Munir Any Talks Require Lifting Pressure and Sanctions First, per Iran International; Reuters Says Tehran Believes Trump Is Ready to Resume Attacks
Global- LiveIranNews said Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir met Pezeshkian, Speaker Qalibaf and Mohsen Rezaee in Tehran on Tuesday; Qalibaf accused the Trump administration of violating the Islamabad memorandum and said the U.S. must implement Tehran's seven conditions, and Rezaee said not a particle of enriched material will leave Iran.source
- Pezeshkian told Munir that all the region's problems, from escalating tensions to Hormuz disruptions, stem from America's 'belligerent nature,' that any talks require first lifting pressure, threats and sanctions, and that 'our nation' does not trust America and believes it would attack again if Iran negotiates, per Iran International.source
- LiveIranNews cited Israel's Channel 14 as reporting that Lavrov's talks in Tehran included a Moscow offer to take custody of Iran's 60%-enriched uranium to reduce nuclear tensions, as well as Russian mediation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.source
- Reuters, citing three senior Iranian officials and an informed source, reported that Tehran believes Trump is ready to resume military attacks to break the deadlock in the eight-month war; one official said Iran is preparing for renewed Israeli and U.S. attacks, not for a deal to end the war, per Iran International.source