Iran says a ship sank after striking a mine in Strait of Hormuz, and other Middle East developments

Iran said Wednesday that a cargo ship has sunk after hitting a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, a top Iranian official said Iran must be prepared for war even as it is negotiating with the U.S. And a hospital in Gaza said a woman was killed in an Israeli strike.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Wednesday. Read our full coverage here.

Iran says a cargo ship sank after hitting a naval mine

A cargo ship sank after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps navy said. It was the first time Iran had reported a ship sinking after hitting a mine during the war.

Shipping officials, meanwhile, said two Singapore-registered cargo vessels had been hit by “unknown projectiles” as they went through the strait on Tuesday and Wednesday. One sank, while the other reached safety. All crew members were evacuated from the first ship, and no injuries were reported in either incident, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said.

“Such attacks are unprovoked, unjustifiable, and a breach of international law,” the authority said.

It was unclear, however, if the Singapore-flagged vessel that sank was the same ship Iran said had struck a mine.

There were few details from Iranian officials, including about the fate of the crew. State television quoted a Guard statement saying the ship was traveling on what it called an illegal and dangerous route when it hit the mine Wednesday morning. The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify the images.

The unidentified ship, which was shown tilted in the water and spewing a thick plume of smoke, was carrying 2,500 containers, the broadcast said.

Iran has repeatedly warned ships against trying to transit through the strait without its approval. The U.S. military has been guiding ships through the strait on a route nearer to Oman’s coast.

Houthi rebel strike hits Saudi oil company’s headquarters

The headquarters of the Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco were hit in an overnight Houthi strike, two regional officials said, damaging the offices of the firm’s chief executive and other top officials. It was the latest demonstration of the Iran-backed rebels’ ability to attack high-profile targets.

There were no casualties in the attack, which the officials said targeted the top three floors of a building used by top executives in the city of Dhahran. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter with the media.

Earlier Wednesday, new explosions were heard in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, residents said, as blame again quickly fell on Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.

The sight of smoke rising in recent days from some of Saudi Arabia’s most sensitive facilities has rattled the region and global oil markets while increasing questions for U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he is evaluating whether the U.S. should join Saudi strikes against the Houthis.

— By Samy Magdy in Cairo

Top Iran official says country must prepare for war as it negotiates

Iran must be prepared for war even as it negotiates with the U.S., the country’s parliament speaker said Wednesday.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said in a televised speech that his country’s main concern is preventing the United States from attacking again. But, he added, a signed agreement with Washington is no guarantee.

“They break their promises,” said Qalibaf. As a result, Iran must be prepared to fight “against a bullying enemy,” and “we must truly fight courageously on the battlefield.”

“That is when we will have achieved sustainable deterrence,” he said. “America must be punished. America must change its behavior. It must understand that it has to come to terms with the Iranian people.”

Israeli strike in Gaza City kills a woman

An Israeli strike on an apartment in Gaza City killed one woman early Wednesday, according to officials at Shifa hospital.

Israel’s military said it struck a Hamas militant but was still assessing the strike’s outcome, without elaborating.

Just over a year since a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect, Israel still launches near-daily deadly strikes on the Palestinian enclave.

More than 1,490 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Its figures are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It doesn’t give a breakdown of civilians and militants, but says almost half the dead are women and children.

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This item has been corrected to show that almost half, not most, of the dead are women and children.

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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.