Crude Tanker Strikes Mine, Catches Fire in Hormuz: IRGC

By Al Mayadeen English

10 Oct 2026 23:39

The IRGC said a crude oil supertanker struck a naval mine and caught fire while attempting to leave the Strait of Hormuz through a route it deemed unauthorized.

A supertanker carrying crude oil erupted in flames after striking a naval mine while attempting to leave the Strait of Hormuz through an unauthorized route, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said Saturday.

In a statement carried by Iranian media, the IRGC Navy said the vessel had switched off its navigation and positioning systems before entering a passage it had previously warned was dangerous. It attributed a powerful explosion aboard the tanker to contact with a naval mine.

The force said the resulting fire was large enough to be clearly visible to residents along the coast. It also renewed its warning to tankers against disregarding the navigation restrictions it has imposed in the strait.

The statement did not identify the vessel, its flag or operator, and provided no details on casualties or potential environmental damage. A Reuters-attributed report also carried the announcement, citing Iranian state media, without providing independent confirmation of the mine strike.

Announcement follows Friday’s reported strike

Saturday’s announcement came a day after the IRGC said it had struck an LPG carrier it identified as NV Sunshine while the vessel attempted to navigate a route south of the Strait of Hormuz that Iran deemed unauthorized.

According to AFP’s reporting on Friday’s statement, the IRGC said the strike caused a fire in the vessel’s engine room and propulsion system. That announcement concerned a gas carrier, while Saturday’s statement described an unnamed crude oil tanker.

The IRGC Navy also warned Friday that its actions against vessels disregarding its restrictions would extend beyond the strait, threatening to pursue such ships elsewhere in the region.

Shipping traffic falls amid mounting attacks

The developments come amid renewed disruption to shipping during the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Reuters reported Thursday that tracked vessel movements through Hormuz had fallen to their lowest level in more than two months. According to analytics firm Kpler, seven commodity vessels crossed on October 6, the lowest figure since July 23, before the number rose to 10 the following day.

Those figures exclude vessels sailing with their Automatic Identification System transponders switched off, limiting the picture of overall traffic through the waterway.