Two unauthorized tankers explode in Hormuz, abandoned by crews after mine strikes: IRGC

Two super tankers were completely disabled and abandoned by their crews after striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz while attempting to navigate an unauthorized route, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy announced.

According to a statement released by the IRGC Navy’s Public Relations Office, the incident occurred earlier today when the two vessels attempted to sneak through an unauthorized southern route in the strategic waterway.

"Upon striking the naval mines, the engine rooms of both super tankers suffered severe explosions and intense fires, completely disabling the vessels and forcing them to a halt in their tracks," the statement read.

The IRGC Navy noted that the two tankers were transporting a massive combined cargo of over 4.5 million barrels of crude oil.

Following the mine strikes near the southern coast of the strait, the situation aboard the burning vessels became untenable, prompting the crews to completely abandon the ships and flee.

The incident marks the latest enforcement of Iran's maritime regulations in the Strait of Hormuz, which the IRGC has declared closed to all unauthorized traffic.

Following the United States' violation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in July—which included illegal air raids and a naval blockade—the Iranian Armed Forces declared the strait closed and warned that any vessel attempting to transit without coordinating with Iranian authorities would face severe consequences.

The IRGC has repeatedly warned that the waterway is heavily mined and that relying on US military escorts or attempting to bypass Iranian maritime controls by switching off tracking systems and taking unauthorized southern routes will result in disaster.