Revolutionary Guard: A tanker exploded after colliding with a mine in the Strait of Hormuz

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Iranian media quoted the Revolutionary Guard as saying on Saturday that an oil tanker suffered an explosion and burst into flames after colliding with a sea mine while crossing the Strait of Hormuz.

The report stated that the tanker was carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil, and was trying to cross the strategic waterway “illegally via an unauthorized route” from Iran, according to Tehran’s claim.

For his part, the Indian Minister of Maritime Transport said yesterday that a crude oil tanker with 15 Indian sailors on board was hit by a shell in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.

Minister Sarbananda Sonowal added on X that all the Indian sailors are “completely fine, and no injuries or casualties have been recorded.”

The US military reported Thursday that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard hit a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz with a projectile.

The US Central Command, Centcom, said in a post on the X platform that a ship flying the Singapore flag did not collide with a sea mine on Wednesday, as Iran claimed, but was hit by “a projectile launched by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.”

In confirming the attack, US Central Command also made it clear that commercial ships crossing the Strait, which is a major hub for global oil trade, currently entails risks.

Tehran has practically closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of war on February 28. In response, the United States imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

Tehran also announced in September the establishment of a “restricted zone” near this vital waterway for global fuel trade, an area covering part of the Gulf of Oman.

In addition, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's naval forces recently warned that any ship that disrupts its navigation systems while crossing the Strait of Hormuz will be considered "hostile" and will face "strict measures."

Security data indicate a significant increase in attacks targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war.