Iran’s IRGC Says Oil Tanker Fire Followed Mine Strike in Strait of Hormuz

Hormuz tanker strike

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said a giant oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, and the IRGC said the tanker was carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil while attempting to pass illegally through the strait.

The IRGC warned that the Strait of Hormuz is closed, and the Iranian Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, quoted the navy vowing to determine the fate of ships that violate Iranian regulations.

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations monitoring agency said at least ten vessels have been attacked in or near the Strait of Hormuz since last Sunday, and it said 23 attacks were recorded since the start of the month.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied Friday that Tehran sought nuclear weapons, expressed readiness for dialogue, and condemned U.S. sanctions during talks with Georgia's prime minister.

Reporting for this sectionAsh-Sharq al-AwsaCBS News

Sanctions and threats

The White House announced that President Donald Trump had suspended the application of certain sanctions, restrictions, and duties stipulated in the Lincoln… g raham Act for imposing sanctions on Russia and Iran through 2026. The IRGC said a supertanker in violation of regulations, carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil, struck a mine and triggered an explosion and a fierce fire, while the statement did not specify the exact location of the incident.

The IRGC also said the tanker attempted to cross the strait with U.S. support by deactivating all its tracking systems, and the Guards posted a video of a vessel in flames during the night. A CBS News account said the Strait of Hormuz will reopen if the U.S. leaves the Middle East, and it quoted a spokesman for wrote on X saying, "If it does not leave, we will expel it," Mohammad Akraminia Oil tanker reportedly hits mine in Strait of Hormuz.

Reporting for this sectionAsh-Sharq al-AwsaCBS News

War’s ripple effects

The war between the United States and Iran upended the global oil market by disrupting the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz and by keeping global crude prices north of $100 a barrel, according to CNN. CNN said there have been 12 reported attacks on vessels in or near Hormuz in the past week, and it said two cargo ships sank after attacks by unknown projectiles in separate incidents.

WRAL said Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi estimated this week that the war has cost the average U.S. household the equivalent of almost $2,000, including $1,100 in higher energy prices, $540 in higher interest rates and $360 in military costs. WRAL said the national average stood at $4.33 a gallon for gasoline on Friday, and it said diesel was up 68% to $6.33, AAA reported, while it warned that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains dangerous and constrained.

Reporting for this sectionCNNWRAL