An oil tanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil has reportedly caught fire after striking a mine while attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The Guards said on Saturday that the supertanker exploded and burst into flames after allegedly attempting to cross the strategic waterway without authorisation amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
The incident comes as Iran tightens its control over the strait, a critical global shipping route through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil consumption normally passes.
In a statement, the IRGC accused the vessel of violating regulations by attempting to transit the waterway without permission.
“A supertanker in violation of regulations, carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil and attempting to pass illegally through the Strait of Hormuz, struck a mine, triggering an explosion and a fierce fire,” the Guards said.
However, the statement did not disclose the precise location of the incident or provide further details about the vessel, including its name, ownership or the fate of its crew.
The IRGC also alleged that the tanker attempted to cross the strait with American support while concealing its movements by switching off its tracking systems.
“The tanker attempted to cross the strait with US support… by deactivating all its tracking systems,” the Guards said, alongside a video purportedly showing a vessel engulfed in flames at night.
The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran to the north and Oman to the south, measures approximately 30 kilometres (20 miles) across at its narrowest point. It serves as one of the world’s most important routes for transporting crude oil and other petroleum products.
Since tightening its control over the waterway, Tehran has insisted that vessels obtain its approval before passing through the strait, raising concerns about the security of international shipping and the stability of global energy supplies.
The development comes as Washington maintains a naval counter-blockade targeting Iranian oil exports in response to Tehran’s restrictions on shipping through the strategic passage.
Earlier this week, the IRGC’s naval commander, Admiral Ali Ozmai, warned that any vessel switching off its navigation systems would be treated as “hostile”.
The reported tanker incident underscores the growing security risks facing vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz as tensions between Iran and the United States continue to threaten a vital artery of global oil trade.
