Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said an oil tanker struck a naval mine in the southern Strait of Hormuz, causing an explosion and a fire in its engine room, Anadolu Ajansı reported. The Guards said the ship had switched off its location and navigation systems from departure and tried to cross by an unauthorized southern route in disregard of Iran’s rules for the strait. The statement warned that vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf that switch off their navigation and identification systems will face a firm and decisive response.
Iran Guards say tanker hit mine in southern Hormuz
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a tanker that had switched off its navigation and identification systems struck a naval mine in the southern Strait of Hormuz, causing an explosion and an engine-room fire.
Why it matters: It is the third Iranian mine claim in three days in the strait, and the Guards paired it with a warning that ships sailing dark will face firm intervention, which raises the risk priced into every Hormuz transit.
Data as of Sunday, October 18, 2026, 17:46 ET. Developing item. Via Anadolu Ajansı, in Turkish, read in full: the incident, the ship's conduct and the warning are all from the Revolutionary Guards Navy's written statement as reported by Anadolu; no ship name, casualty report or independent confirmation accompanied the claim. Iran is a party to the conflict, hence grade C.
Sources
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced a tanker struck a mine in the Strait of Hormuz (in Turkish) · Anadolu Ajansı · 2026-10-19