Iran claims four tankers hit mines in Strait of Hormuz as US disputes reports
Iran claims four oil tankers struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz. (Representative photo)
New Delhi: Iranian military authorities claimed that four oil tankers caught fire after striking naval mines in and around the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting US assurances that key shipping lanes are clear. Maritime authorities separately confirmed an explosive attack on a tanker near Oman, but have not established whether it was among the vessels described by Tehran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said three tankers exploded while using a southern route it considers unauthorized. Iran’s army reported a fourth tanker catching fire east of the strait in what it called a restricted area. The IRGC alleged that the first three vessels had switched off their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings from Iranian naval authorities, according to NDTV.
The ships’ identities and flags were not disclosed. Iranian state media said one tanker carried about two million barrels of crude, but Reuters could not independently verify the reported mine strikes.
US Centcom rejected Iranian media claims of vessels striking naval mines as “false” on Wednesday. It maintained that US forces had cleared internationally recognized primary transit routes and that commercial shipping continued through them. IRGC spokesman, Hossein Mohebi, challenged Washington on Thursday to provide independent evidence of mine clearance.
A separate maritime report offered clearer evidence of danger, though not of Iran’s four-tanker account. United Kingdom maritime trade operations (UKMTO) initially received reports of a vessel burning approximately 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. Its Friday update said a small boat had attached two explosive devices to the tanker’s hull on Thursday.
The explosions caused an engine-room fire and temporarily disabled the vessel. UKMTO said the crew were safe, the fire was extinguished and no environmental damage was reported. Reuters identified the Panama-flagged tanker as Louise 1, citing maritime security sources who described the devices as limpet mines. Responsibility for the attack remains unknown.
Oman’s maritime security centre also reported that its navy evacuated 25 crew members from a Panama-flagged vessel attacked near Musandam. Authorities have not established whether that incident was connected to Tehran’s claims.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and ordinarily carries oil equivalent to roughly one-fifth of global petroleum consumption. Disruptions can increase tanker insurance premiums, freight costs and uncertainty over crude deliveries.
For India, which relies heavily on imported crude, prolonged shipping disruption could affect refinery supplies, transportation costs and energy security. The Indian government has issued maritime advisories and established monitoring arrangements for vessels and seafarers operating near Hormuz.
The extent of the reported mine strikes remains uncertain as Tehran and Washington present conflicting accounts of the waterway’s security, leaving commercial operators facing continuing risks to navigation.
