Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says four tankers were destroyed by mines on a prohibited route near Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Wednesday that four oil tankers were destroyed after hitting naval mines while trying to cross a prohibited route¹. The IRGC described the route as prohibited and said it lay south of the Strait of Hormuz². It called the ships “violating” tankers⁵ and “rogue” vessels⁷, and said they were still burning⁸.

Tehran claimed the tankers caught fire a day after US President Donald Trump made remarks about the conflict⁴. The IRGC also said it had dealt “heavy blows” to the United States and struck six vessels in Hormuz¹¹, and it claimed to have downed a 56th US drone⁸. The Iranian claims were not independently confirmed in the coverage, and US Central Command has refuted at least one Iranian assertion¹².

Separately, an Iranian lawmaker said vessels from India, China, Iraq and Qatar are exempt from restrictions on passage through the strait^9,10.

Why it matters to investors

The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway, and the IRGC’s account describes a mined, prohibited route just south of it that ships attempted to use^1,2. Oil is trading above $100 a barrel as more vessels face attacks¹². Attacks on vessels in the region form the backdrop to the latest claim³.

The exemptions matter for trade flows. Under the lawmaker’s account, vessels from India, China, Iraq and Qatar are exempt from the restrictions on passage through the strait, while ships from other countries remain subject to them¹⁰. The IRGC says the four tankers it reported destroyed were trying to cross the prohibited route when they struck mines¹.

What to watch

The first test is verification: which ships were hit, under which flags, and whether US Central Command disputes the IRGC’s account of the tanker losses as it has disputed other Iranian assertions^6,12. In its statement, the IRGC said the tankers had attempted to traverse a prohibited passage¹¹.

The second is the price of crude. With oil above $100 a barrel and attacks on vessels continuing, the open questions are whether Iran’s exemption list for India, China, Iraq and Qatar changes and whether further vessels are reported hit on the prohibited route^8,9,12.