IRGC says two supertankers hit mines in Strait of Hormuz

Two oil supertankers struck naval mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, October 17, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps told RT. Iranian state media put the crude cargo carried by the vessels at about two million barrels, although the wording did not make clear whether that figure applied to each tanker or both together.

The IRGC Public Relations Office said one tanker was struck on Saturday morning. It said a mine blast on the second vessel caused an explosion in its engine room, leaving it unable to move.

The Iranian account also alleged that both vessels had switched off their positioning and radar systems and attempted to pass through routes Tehran had not authorised. These claims have not been independently verified. The report did not name the tankers, identify their operators or give the condition of their crews; it also did not establish who had laid the mines.

Shipping attacks amid a dispute over passage

The reported strikes follow weeks of attacks on tankers and cargo vessels in the region, with US-Iran talks stalled. Days earlier, a container ship sank in the same waterway after what Tehran described as a mine strike. According to the report, all 21 crew members escaped without injury.

Iran has demanded that vessels obtain permission before using the strait from a maritime authority established in May. That demand is Tehran’s asserted condition for passage, not evidence that the two tankers’ reported routes were unlawful.

The report also described US attacks on commercial vessels under a naval blockade of Iranian ports imposed in July after negotiations broke down. It said US forces disabled the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Molica in the Gulf of Oman last week after accusing it of trying to breach the blockade.

Separately, US Central Command was cited as saying its forces had destroyed ten tankers since July that it alleged were linked to the IRGC. The alleged affiliations were not independently established in the account.

Energy prices under pressure

Disruption to shipping through Hormuz has added pressure to international energy markets. The report put Friday’s Brent crude settlement at $109.86 a barrel, a rise of 3.7% and its highest closing price since May.

For India, a major crude importer, sustained disruption to Gulf shipping is an energy-security concern. The report did not identify any Indian vessel, cargo or crew member as affected by Saturday’s alleged strikes.