Iran Reports Fires Aboard Two Tankers in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported on November 10 that two tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after attempting to transit a route the military body described as unauthorized. According to the IRGC, one of the vessels, described as a supertanker, struck a naval mine, triggering an explosion followed by a fire, while the second vessel caught fire while sailing under the protection of U.S. military forces.

The Iranian regime claimed that both vessels had switched off their navigation and identification systems before entering the area, in an attempt to cross undetected. Portal Portuario, citing the IRGC's naval force, specified that the supertanker was carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil and ultimately sank in the southern Persian Gulf, while Safety4Sea noted that the IRGC did not disclose the names, flags or ownership of the vessels, nor did it provide information on possible injuries among the crews.

The incident takes place amid prolonged tension in the area: on July 12, Iran had announced a new closure of the strait following the resumption of U.S. attacks on its territory, and had since warned it would strike vessels using routes other than those authorized. According to Portal Portuario, the Strait of Hormuz is a key route for global oil and liquefied natural gas trade, meaning any disruption there heightens concerns over global energy supply. Safety4Sea added that the United States has carried out military operations in the region and has backed the transit of merchant vessels, amid the dispute over control of navigation in the area.

The specialized outlet Trade News headlined its coverage of the event as 'Strike on Sinokor VLCC injures four seafarers in Strait of Hormuz' and, in its subheading, noted that Iran is concentrating its attacks on the main operators of voyages carried out under U.S. protection along the route. The full content of that article was not available at the time of this publication, so that information—the identification of the vessel as a Sinokor VLCC and the figure of four injured crew members—could not be corroborated with the IRGC's official version, which, according to Safety4Sea, did not provide details on the identity of the vessels or on the condition of their crews.