Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say their naval mines hit three tankers near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The ships used a southern route near Oman that Tehran calls illegal, the IRGC said. However, US Central Command called the Hormuz tanker mine claims false.
What Iran claims
First, the IRGC said mines set two tankers ablaze and stopped them. Later, it said a third tanker carrying over 2mn barrels of crude exploded after hitting a mine. That ship had switched off its radar and navigation systems, the Guards added. Yet the Guards have not named any of the vessels.
Why the Hormuz tanker mine claims are disputed
Independent checks have repeatedly failed to back such reports. On 18 October, the multinational JMIC maritime group found “no substantiation” for similar claims made a day earlier. Similarly, CENTCOM rejected earlier mine claims in July and August.
Still, the risk to shipping is real. UKMTO logged an incident between a tanker and “military forces” about 121 nautical miles east of Duqm on Monday. Meanwhile, the IMO says about 6,000 seafarers remain stuck in the strait.
What it means for oil
Before the war, the strait carried around a fifth of the world’s oil. So every claim adds to the risk premium in crude prices. In addition, an IRGC spokesman threatened undersea internet cables in the Gulf.
Iran has also set terms for reopening the strait. See our earlier report on Iran’s conditions.
Sources
- AFP (via Arab News): Iran Guards say three tankers hit mines crossing Hormuz strait
- Anadolu Agency: Iran says supertanker carrying over 2 million barrels of oil hit mine near Hormuz
- gCaptain: Iran Claims More Tankers Hit Mines in Hormuz, But Evidence Remains Elusive
- Euronews: IRGC mines set tankers ablaze as Tehran threatens expanded attacks
- Newsquawk: Iran’s claims about oil tankers colliding with sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz are false, a US CENTCOM spokesman says
