STRAIT OF HORMUZ — A seafarer was killed aboard a Greek-owned oil tanker in what the vessel’s owner called an “apparent missile attack” in the Gulf, even as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed more tankers were on fire in the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports published Friday, Nov. 6. The deadly incident comes as President Donald Trump says he will “soon” decide whether to resume the war with Iran.

What We Know About the Attack

The vessel is the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Velos Sapphire, which was sailing to Bahrain without cargo, according to a statement from its owner, Athens-based Velos Tankers, carried by the Greek news agency ANA. The company said the attack took place Thursday, Nov. 5, and that the explosion was likely caused by an unidentified projectile that struck the ship’s port quarter and started a fire.

The owner’s account reports one death. The sailor’s name and nationality had not been released in the reports reviewed, and it was not immediately clear who fired the projectile. Competing explanations are circulating: the shipowner points to a projectile, while Iranian authorities have blamed naval mines for ships catching fire in the strait.

Iran Claims Tankers Are Burning

On Thursday, Iranian media reported that five oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire after hitting mines in the strait. In a statement carried by state media on Friday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said two more oil tankers were on fire. The reports have not been independently confirmed in detail, and it is not clear whether the Velos Sapphire is among the vessels Tehran named.

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations agency, known as UKMTO, said Friday that the master of a tanker transiting the strait the previous day reported an explosion “at the waterline, port side” off Oman. The agency said the crew were safe and the tanker was still under its own power and continuing its voyage. The report did not identify the ship.

A Pattern of Danger in the World’s Most Important Oil Chokepoint

The latest casualty follows a week of violence at sea. Drop Site News, citing the Revolutionary Guards, reported that three oil tankers hit naval mines on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and burned in the strait. Separately, an Indian sailor was killed on Monday, Nov. 2, when the Indian-flagged vessel MSV Al Jusufi was attacked near Limah, off Oman. India’s shipping minister said the other 13 crew members were rescued by the Omani Coast Guard, and no group claimed responsibility.

The Strait of Hormuz normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil consumption. Since the Middle East war began on Feb. 28, Tehran has tried to limit traffic through the waterway, according to the reports. The United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and has escorted tankers through the strait.

Trump: A Decision Is Coming

Speaking Thursday after meetings with national security advisers, Trump said, “Now we will make a decision,” and added that he would “rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to,” according to Asharq Al-Awsat’s account. Axios reported that the president is weighing three options: new strikes, continued economic pressure, or a deal that would require major concessions.

Diplomacy has not stopped. Qatari mediators carried a revised proposal to Tehran earlier this week and are advancing a draft agreement. Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said: “as a mediator, we cannot lose hope.” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said “the ball is now in Washington’s court,” while a senior Iranian official told Reuters the two sides remain far apart. Vice President JD Vance said he felt “pretty good about the prospects.”

The picture on the water is complicated by conflicting accounts of recent U.S. military activity. The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials, that American forces struck targets on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Monday as part of defensive actions after Iran fired a missile at a U.S. fighter and toward shipping. Trump told reporters the same day, “We haven’t been doing any fighting for months.” Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said Tehran reserves the right to self-defense until U.S. attacks end “completely and permanently.”

What It Means for Americans

Every attack on a commercial vessel in the Gulf raises insurance costs and risk premiums for the global shipping industry, and any prolonged disruption in Hormuz can ripple into fuel prices at American pumps. Beyond the economics, the human toll is mounting: at least two merchant sailors have now been reported killed in four days.

The next several days may determine whether the fragile diplomacy holds or the region returns to open conflict. For the families of seafarers working in the strait, and for drivers filling up at home, the stakes of that decision are immediate.

This is a developing story based on reports from Asharq Al-Awsat, Drop Site News and other outlets. USA Herald will update as more information becomes available.