Iranupdated 16m ago2 min read
IRGC Says Two Oil Tankers Hit Mines in Strait of Hormuz, Fire Erupts and One Sinks
“with support from the U.S. military, switched off all their identification and positioning systems in an attempt to pass through secretly”
“The United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran's choking”
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Three oil tankers struck naval mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz. IRGC says at least one vessel sank after the incident.
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Mines in Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two oil tankers struck naval mines in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, caught fire, and sank one vessel while attempting to cross via what it called an “unauthorized” route. The IRGC Navy said the tankers had switched off navigation and automatic identification systems, and it added that “Two violating oil tankers, which were attempting to covertly transit through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz” struck mines and triggered explosions.
Iran’s IRGC Navy also said two other oil tankers turned back after heeding warnings from the Strait of Hormuz traffic control center, while the Gulf News account said there was “no independent confirmation of the incidents.” The Gulf News report said one supertanker carried more than two million barrels of crude oil and sank in the southern waters of the Arabian Gulf, and it noted that UKMTO said the damage and environmental impact were unknown but the crew were safe.
Claims, warnings, and footage
The IRGC Navy warned that any ship entering the prohibited zone would face the same fate, and it said fire and explosions were the ‘fate of tankers involved in illegal activities’ that had turned off tracking systems and were operating in restricted areas. The IRGC said in a statement to ISNA that “two oil tankers travelling in the southern no-go zone of the Strait of Hormuz suffered a massive explosion after hitting sea mines.”
The Guards released footage purportedly showing the aftermath, and it added that “no tanker is visible in the video, and it remains unclear when or where the footage was recorded.” Mehr News Agency said the IRGC Navy warned fishermen to observe safety precautions to avoid colliding with wreckage and urged tanker owners, shipping company managers, and vessel crews not to approach the restricted area.
Shipping risk and wider tensions
The Marine Insight account said the claim about the oil tanker has not been independently verified, and it described Iran’s navy warning that shipowners whose vessels pass through without contacting its traffic control centre would suffer the same outcome. Gulf News said the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and helped tankers travel the strait, and it added that the American military recently claimed to have cleared all mines from the main routes through the waterway.
Fires and explosions broke out on four oil tankers after they collided with naval mines, while the Iranian Army’s Navy announced a fire on a third oil tanker east of the Strait of Hormuz after its GPS systems were shut down. Al-Jazirah Net quoted UN officials warning that ongoing tensions in the Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb straits pose severe risks to international peace and security, regional stability, and the global economy, and it said Mohamed Khaled Khiari told the UN Security Council that the International Maritime Organization documented “134 confirmed incidents” as of November 11, 2024, with “25 sailors killed” and others injured or missing.