Iran says 2 oil tankers carrying 4 million barrels caught fire in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Thursday that two tankers carrying over four million barrels of oil had caught fire after an “accident” on an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz. Since the outbreak of the Middle East war in late February, Tehran has heavily restricted traffic through the strategic shipping channel, insisting vessels use routes it has approved. The United States has, in response, imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and helped tankers travel the strait, which previously carried about one-fifth of global oil.

“Last night, two tankers — acting in violation of regulations and despite repeated warnings from the Revolutionary Guards Navy regarding the unauthorized and dangerous nature of the southern maritime route — were involved in an accident while traversing this prohibited path in the strait,” the Guards said in a statement. They did not specify the nature of the “accident” but said it left the two tankers immobilized after they were hit with a “violent explosion.”

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms “These two supertankers were carrying a combined total of over four million barrels of oil, which are now ablaze — a consequence of the blind trust placed in the aggressive American military,” the statement said. Videos of the explosion of violating oil tankers after hitting mines in the unauthorized route of the Strait of Hormuz pic.twitter.com/o21dD8yI6A — IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) November 12, 2026 Advertisement The incident came a day after Iran said another tanker caught fire after striking a mine while using what Tehran called an unauthorized route through the strait.

Earlier in the week, the Revolutionary Guards said three other tankers had caught fire while traveling through routes Iran considers off-limits. Iranian forces have made multiple announcements in recent weeks of ships catching fire while making similar attempts. Tehran has often said they struck mines, but the US military recently claimed all mines had been cleared from the strait. Erdogan urges renewed diplomacy Amid rising tensions in the region, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said diplomacy should resume “without further delay” to end the US-Iran war after talks with his Iranian counterpart.

Erdogan met Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN climate conference in the Turkish province of Antalya, his office said. Masoud Pezeshkian, president of Iran, leaves after speaking during a plenary session at the COP31 UN Climate Summit, November 11, 2026, in Antalya, Turkey. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) During their discussion, Erdogan underscored “the importance of getting to the negotiating table without further delay” and said Turkey would continue to support efforts aimed at securing peace.

Advertisement “Common ground for agreement must be strengthened and diplomacy given a chance,” he said, expressing hope that the conflict with the US “would end as soon as possible.” The war began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched a joint campaign against Iran aimed at degrading its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The opening strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated by firing hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel and other targets across the region, while Tehran-backed armed groups in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq also joined the fighting.

In an address to the UN climate summit, to which Israel was not invited, Pezeshkian on Wednesday accused the United States and Israel of inflicting severe environmental damage during attacks on the Islamic Republic. Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the COP31 UN Climate Summit, November 11, 2026, in Antalya, Turkey. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) “The recent criminal and illegal aggression against Iran by America and the Zionist regime… has inflicted severe damage on the environment, releasing massive quantities of pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere,” he said.

Diplomatic efforts led by Qatar and Pakistan have sought to negotiate an end to the war. Tehran wants Washington to accept a raft of demands, including unfreezing assets and lifting sanctions in return for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the vital energy conduit it has blockaded since the start of the conflict. Iran has indicated that restrictions on the strait could outlast the fighting. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Wednesday that the waterway would not return to its prewar status .

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report. Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors. Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy; Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.

As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more. CHOOSE YOUR BOOK CHOOSE YOUR BOOK Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this You're a dedicated reader We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.

So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE , as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.

Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel Join Our Community Join Our Community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 In furious speech demanding ‘unity government,’ Netanyahu claims Arab MKs want Israel’s destruction 2 On 1st day of Knesset, Eisenkot bloc submits bills to form Oct. 7 state inquiry, nix judicial overhaul 3 Israeli blood test detects early breast cancer with 95% accuracy 4 Abbas said ready to recognize Hamas as terror group in exchange for real ‘partnership’ 5 Zamir said to again warn against Netanyahu advancing ill-advised action against Iran 6 Report: Netanyahus want state to continue funding home improvements even if PM leaves office 7 Iran said producing up to 50 ballistic missiles a month, as IRGC unveils underground ‘missile city’ 8 Eisenkot says Netanyahu refusing to give him security briefings, asks AG to intervene read more: Israel & the Region Masoud Pezeshkian Recep Tayyip Erdogan Iran Strait of Hormuz diplomacy If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community.

JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY Already a member? Log in here close popup Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community Sign in or Register Paying ToI Community members are invited to comment on articles Email address * Please use the following structure: example@domain.com Continue Or Continue with By joining you agree to the terms and conditions Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition back close popup Register to continue Email address * Change REGISTER Or Continue with back close popup Log in to continue Email address * Something went wrong.

Please try again in a few minutes.. Continue back close popup Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community Sign in or Register You are currently registered. Please join The Times of Israel Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits Only ToI Community members can comment below articles Email address * Password * Incorrect password. Please try again or choose an option below. Forgot your password? / Send me a login link Continue Sign in without joining Or Continue with close popup Check your email We sent an email to you at .

It has a link that will sign you in. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. back close popup Join The Times of Israel Community Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits. Email address * Please use the following structure: example@domain.com JOIN NOW! close popup Thank you! Now check your email You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community!

We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.