press (IRGC statement via Iranian state media, as reported by AP, Reuters and AFP; UKMTO report via Reuters and AFP, Oct 29)
Iran says three tankers hit mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz
Three ships, Iran says, went dark and then went up in flames. So far one fire has been seen by anyone else.
Key facts
- Claim
- The IRGC says three oil tankers exploded and caught fire after hitting sea mines over the past 24 hours on an unauthorized southern route (IRGC via state media)
- Route
- The IRGC says the tankers had switched off radar and navigation systems, ignored warnings and were abandoned on the southern shores of the strait
- UKMTO
- A ship on fire was reported about 9 nm north of Khasab, Oman, with no cause or casualties given; it is unclear whether it is one of the three
- Unknown
- The tankers, their flags and any casualties have not been identified; AP could not immediately confirm the report
- CENTCOM
- A day earlier, CENTCOM said all internationally recognized primary transit routes had been cleared of sea mines and remained so
The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the report.
AP, Oct 29
Note
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by state media on Thursday that three oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking sea mines over the past 24 hours while trying to cross an unauthorized route south of the Strait of Hormuz. The Guards said the ships had switched off their radar and navigation systems, ignored warnings from the Guards' navy, and were abandoned on the southern shores of the strait.
Separately, the British maritime agency UKMTO said it had received a report from the master of another ship of a vessel on fire about 9 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman, according to Reuters and AFP. UKMTO gave no cause and no casualty details. It is not clear whether that ship is one of the three.
No tanker names, flags or casualties have been given, and AP said it could not immediately confirm the report. The claim comes a day after US Central Command said the strait's internationally recognized primary transit routes had been cleared of sea mines. For now this is Iran's account, partly supported by one UKMTO report.
Why it matters
The strait carries a large share of the world's oil and gas, and this claim lands a day after Washington called its main lanes clear.
Sources
- AP: Iran says 3 tankers struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz (Oct 29 2026)
- Arab News, Reuters and AFP (Oct 29 2026)
- Al Arabiya (Oct 29 2026)
Primary + secondary attribution as listed.
More: Armed conflict
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