Iran says oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz as both sides report ships hit

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said early on Sunday that two “violating” oil tankers had hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz⁵. Both vessels struck mines during the attempt, the IRGC said, adding that fires broke out on board³. The IRGC Navy reported explosions on two tankers in the strait⁴, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the two tankers caught fire after hitting mines, according to Iranian state news¹⁰.

Later on Sunday the Guards raised the count. They said “three rogue oil tankers traveling an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz have been hit by explosions”⁶. Iran said three “non compliant” oil tankers caught fire in the strait^7,9. The crew of one tanker abandoned the vessel in Hormuz¹¹.

The cause of the blasts is disputed. Iran’s state television said officials had not confirmed any missile strikes, and Iran suggested the blasts were not US attacks¹. The Iranian account of mines is a claim by the IRGC^3,4, and none of the reports available independently confirms the cause of the explosions.

Why it matters to investors

The incidents add to a weekend in which Iran and the US traded strikes on commercial vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz¹¹. Ship casualties are mounting in the Middle East as the US and Iran set vessels alight¹³.

On the US side, the military said it fired on a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach the blockade on Iran^8,12. US Central Command said on Saturday that it had disabled the vessel^2,14. The ship was a bulk carrier¹¹.

US forces have been enforcing a naval blockade on Iran for months in and around the Strait of Hormuz, which the coverage describes as a crucial strategic waterway⁸ and a key shipping route¹². Iran, for its part, regularly targets ships that transit the strait without its authorization⁹. Both the US blockade and Iran’s own transit rules now apply to the same stretch of water, and both sides say they are acting against ships that break their rules^5,8.

What to watch

The first question is the cause of the blasts. Iran’s suggestion that the explosions were not US attacks¹ and its claim that the tankers struck mines³ have yet to be tested against other accounts.

The second is Iran’s warning. The IRGC Navy warned any vessel cooperating with the United States military or violating Iran’s regulations in the strait’s restricted areas⁴. How shipowners respond to that warning, and to the US blockade enforced against merchant traffic in the Gulf of Oman^12,14, will shape traffic through the strait in the days ahead.