Two oil tankers were left burning in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after striking naval mines, according to Iranian authorities. Neither the ships nor their crews have been publicly identified, and the claims could not immediately be verified.
Iran’s army spoke first, saying a tanker had strayed into a restricted zone in the eastern part of the waterway before the blast. State broadcaster IRIB later reported a second vessel ablaze, adding that it had been travelling with an escort of US fighter jets. The Revolutionary Guards’ naval arm then said both ships had turned off their tracking and identification systems and tried an unauthorised passage. In its account the fires could not be put out and both tankers were abandoned.
Outside Iran, information remained thin. Britain’s maritime security centre, UKMTO, confirmed only that one tanker incident had been reported to it; how the crew were doing, how badly the ship was hit and whether oil had leaked were all still unknown. It was unclear whether that report referred to one of the ships Iran described.
The episode follows a pattern. Since the war began in late February, Tehran has throttled traffic through the strait and targeted vessels that cross without its permission, often blaming mines for fires on board even though Washington says the area has been cleared. US forces have been shepherding commercial shipping through the route for months.
Separately, three sources confirmed to Reuters that Iran struck navigation equipment on Didamar, an Omani island in the strait, although the damage remains unknown. Shipping experts expect limited disruption because backup systems exist.
The incidents come at a delicate moment for energy markets: Gulf oil exports had climbed back above 80 percent of their pre-war level in September and October.
