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Iran's IRGC Claims Destruction of Four Tankers in Strait of Hormuz
Confirmed
In Short: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says four oil tankers were destroyed after hitting naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, amid escalating tensions with the US and Israel.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Wednesday that four oil tankers were destroyed after hitting naval mines while attempting to cross a prohibited route south of the Strait of Hormuz, Tasnim news agency reported.
The IRGC claimed the tankers were in violation of regulations and traveling on an unauthorized route in the strait. The IRGC also said its forces intercepted two other vessels and seized them.
The IRGC stated that the tankers were still ablaze and that the responsibility to prevent a war lay with the US. Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian warned that no one would benefit from a war if fighting with the US and Israel were to restart.
In a separate incident, the IRGC said its Aerospace Force air defenses shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the strait at 4:30 a.m. Local time (01:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
The IRGC also accused the US of attempting to pass covertly through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz with the support of the terrorist US military.
Iran’s IRGC announced that it had fired a barrage of ballistic missiles toward a US aircraft carrier and a US Navy destroyer operating in the region, accusing the vessels of harassing Iranian shipping and enforcing an ongoing naval blockade against the country.
The IRGC said that if the US continues its hostile and aggressive actions, the US regime should expect a significant response from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
US Central Command said that the IRGC fired ballistic missiles at an American aircraft carrier and destroyer, but both ships were able to evade multiple attacks.
The IRGC said that the three tanker ships are part of a 'shadow network' helping fund the IRGC and its regional partners.
The conflict in the Strait of Hormuz continues, with ongoing attacks and economic pressures affecting regional stability.
Iran's attempts to capture drones underscore growing security volatility in the Strait of Hormuz, the vital international shipping lane where commercial transit has fallen below historic levels since the war broke out in February.
Background
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Friday that four oil tankers, including a 'supertanker' carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil, hit mines and caught fire while traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple reports.
The conflict in the Strait of Hormuz continues, with ongoing attacks and economic pressures affecting regional stability.
What's confirmed
- Feels like: 14.3°C 14.3°F | Patchy rain nearby Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said four “rogue oil tankers” attempting to pass through a prohibited area south of the Strait of Hormuz were destroyed after striking naval mines and catching fire, while its forces intercepted two other vessels, Tasnim news agency reported.
- The IRGC also said that its Aerospace Force air defences shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the strait at 4:30 a.m.
What's still developing
- Ghalibaf, who is also Iran's parliamentary speaker, posted on X, external that the midterm results showed that whether it was "conscience or the cost of living, Americans said no to war, and we endorse this message".
- The IRGC has made similar claims in recent weeks about oil tankers striking naval mines in the area, including on October 30.
- An oil tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz was also hit by an unknown projectile earlier on Sunday, the United Kingdom Maritime and Trade Operations (UKMTO) Center announced.
- --- If the IRGC’s claim holds, the Hormuz stand-off has moved from blockades and talks to mines and burning tankers, and oil’s brief relief may already be over.
- The missile strikes came shortly after US forces disabled two Iranian oil tankers and destroyed a third in what the Pentagon described as retaliation for earlier hostile action against American warships, with CENTCOM commander Adm.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth weighed in directly, posting that the US would “destroy (and sink)” Iran’s oil tankers if Iran fired on American ships, telling Tehran that all it needed to do was stop shooting at the Navy.
- "What’s going on with drones generally in the Strait right now—when we see all these types of intel capture missions that Iran is launching—we need to make no mistake that these are very coordinated, absolutely deliberate drone capture missions," Cameron Chell, CEO of U.S. drone manufacturer Draganfly, told Fox News Digital.
- “We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.” The Strait of Hormuz is a vital waterway for a fifth of the world’s crude oil, and Iran’s Kharg Island is a major depot for oil.
- On Aug. 30, U.S. forces hit Larak Island in the strait, saying IRGC launchers were about to fire mines into the waterway; two days prior CENTCOM said it had cleared mines in shipping lanes.
Sources
- Latest news from Azerbaijanlink
- The Jerusalem Postlink
- WANA News Agencylink
- investingLivelink
- The Indian Expresslink
- Fox Newslink
- Taskandpurposelink
- WarpBeat — background on UK agency reports vessel strike in Hormuz; Iran’s Guards say tankers hit mines link
- WarpBeat — background on Strait of Hormuz Conflict Persists Amid Economic Pressures link
- public domain / DVIDS — video link