Iran’s Guards claim second tanker hit mine and caught fire in Strait of Hormuz
The Revolutionary Guards said a second supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude caught fire on October 17. Neither reported mine strike has been independently confirmed.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said a second supertanker hit a naval mine and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz on October 17, adding to an earlier tanker-fire claim that day, AFP reported in The Hindu. The reported incidents could deepen disruption on a route that normally carries about one-fifth of global oil consumption. Neither strike has been independently confirmed.
The later account said the second tanker carried more than two million barrels of crude oil and was attempting to pass through the strait. The Guards had earlier said another supertanker with more than two million barrels aboard struck a mine, triggering an explosion and fire. The second claim extends the Guards’ account beyond the first tanker reported in NewsJaws’ earlier coverage.
What the Guards said about the tankers
The Guards accused the first tanker of trying to cross the strait with US support after deactivating its tracking systems. They posted a video showing a vessel burning at night, according to AFP. The footage does not establish which tanker it showed. The report did not identify the vessels or disclose their flags, cargo origins or precise positions.
The claims follow a warning this week from the Guards’ naval commander, Admiral Ali Ozmaei, that vessels switching off navigation systems would be treated as hostile. Iran has demanded that ships seek its authorisation before transiting Hormuz. Washington has imposed a naval counter-blockade on Iranian oil exports in response to Tehran’s blockade of the strait, AFP reported.
Earlier incidents around the Strait of Hormuz
The International Maritime Organization’s confirmed-incident record counted 113 incidents as of October 14. Its list includes damage to vessels on October 10 and 11 and a sinking on October 13 in or near the strait. That tally predates the Guards’ October 17 announcements and does not establish what happened to either tanker that day.
The Guards’ announcements also came after Iran’s army said tankers caught fire on October 15 and 16 in what Tehran calls its prohibited zone in the Gulf of Oman. Maritime monitoring agencies reported strikes on two tankers in Gulf waters off Saudi Arabia on October 16, according to AFP. The October 17 claims concern two further vessels in the Hormuz waterway; their condition after the reported fires remains unclear.
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Sources and context
- Oil tanker on fire after hitting mine in Hormuz: Iran's GuardsThe Hindu (AFP report)
- Middle East - Highlighted (Confirmed) incidentsInternational Maritime Organization
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.