Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) said on 18 October that two oil tankers, each carrying about two million barrels of crude, were set alight after striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. No vessel names or cargo origins were given, and the claims have not been independently confirmed.
On Saturday the Guard said the first tanker's mine strike caused an explosion and a fierce fire. Iranian state media described the second as engulfed in a massive blaze. Both vessels, it said, had switched off their positioning and radar systems and tried to use a route Iran had not authorised. The Guard also claimed that one tanker tried to cross with US support while the second was left immobilised. That claim is likewise unverified.
A surge in attacks
Other incidents have been reported. Iran's army said two tankers caught fire on Thursday and Friday in what it calls a prohibited zone of the Gulf of Oman, and maritime monitors reported two tankers struck in Gulf waters off Saudi Arabia on Friday. Neither report is confirmed. Last Sunday, six vessels were attacked in or near the strait, the most in a single day since the war began.
Iran took control of the strait after the US-Israeli war on the country began in late February, and it now demands that all ships obtain its authorisation before transiting. About a fifth of global oil consumption passed through the waterway before the war. The Guard's naval commander, Rear Admiral Ali Azmaei, has warned that any vessel that switches off its navigation systems will be treated as hostile. Attacks have surged over the past two weeks, and Iran says it is escalating in response to the US blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions imposed last month.
Ship-tracking data show about 20.8 million barrels passed through on 8 October but only 2.9 million on 11 October. The disruption has pushed up global energy prices and inflation.
The US position
The US has imposed its own naval counter-blockade on Iranian oil exports and has made no specific response to the tanker claims. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would not use nuclear weapons against Iran and does not see putting troops on the ground. He said he believes a deal to end the war will be reached after the US midterm elections on 3 November.
