Iran says tankers catch fire after hitting mines in Strait of Hormuz
Iran describes mine strikes
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said one tanker hit a mine, causing an explosion and a severe fire. Iran’s IRNA news agency reported that the second vessel struck a mine and was engulfed in flames.
The ships’ names and where their oil came from were not immediately known. IRNA said both had disabled positioning and radar systems and tried to follow a route Iran had not authorised.
Tensions in the waterway
The IRGC claimed one tanker attempted the crossing with US support, while the other was unable to move. The force has warned that vessels switching off navigation systems would be treated as hostile; naval commander Ali Azmaei issued that warning this week.
Iran has required ships to obtain permission to pass since taking control of the strait after the US-Israeli war began in late February. Before the conflict, about one-fifth of the world’s oil consumption moved through the waterway, while the United States has imposed a naval counter-blockade on Iranian oil exports.
Reports point to wider disruption
Iran’s army separately said two tankers caught fire on Thursday and Friday in what it called Tehran’s prohibited zone in the Gulf of Oman. Maritime monitors also reported two tankers were hit in Gulf waters near Saudi Arabia on Friday.
Vanguard, the International Maritime Organization and UKMTO said six ships were attacked in or near the strait last Sunday, the highest single-day total since the war began. Kpler data showed oil volumes fell from 20.8 million barrels on October 8 to 2.9 million on October 11, and the disruption has driven up energy prices and inflation.
Key points
- The IRGC says two tankers carrying about two million barrels of crude apiece struck mines.
- Iran says the vessels used an unauthorised route after switching off tracking and radar systems.
- Oil flows through the strait dropped sharply between October 8 and October 11, according to Kpler.
- The disruption has contributed to higher global energy prices and inflation.