Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said an oil tanker caught fire south of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, October 19, after hitting a naval mine, though the vessel's identity and the account were not independently confirmed.
Iranian media, citing the Guards, reported that the blast ignited a fire in the ship’s engine room as it tried to leave the waterway. The IRGC said the tanker had used what Iran considers an unauthorized southern route and had switched off its positioning and navigation systems. The force described the vessel as violating maritime rules.
It warned that ships operating with navigation and identification systems turned off would face a firm response. The statement did not name the tanker or provide details about casualties, the extent of the damage, or any environmental impact. The report followed earlier claims by the Guards that two other tankers had struck mines and caught fire in the strait.
The incidents increase worries about shipping through Hormuz, an important route that normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil.