In brief: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on October 17 that two oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz, each carrying about 2 million barrels, according to state news agency IRNA. Tehran says the ships had switched off their positioning and radar systems and were using a route not authorized by Iran; one tanker was left immobilized after the blast. There is no independent confirmation of the incident.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on October 17 that two oil tankers caught fire after hitting naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz — according to state news agency IRNA, each was carrying about 2 million barrels. Tehran’s account says the vessels were sailing with their positioning and radar systems switched off, on a route not authorized by Iran; one of the tankers was left immobilized after the blast. Reuters notes there is no independent confirmation of the incident, and the ships were not named.
This is not the first such claim in recent weeks: on Wednesday, October 14, maritime officials said a containership and a dry bulk carrier sank near the strait after being hit by projectiles, in two unrelated incidents. Attacks have surged sharply over the past two weeks; Iran says the increase is a response to the US blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions imposed last month.
For shipowners and forwarders, the core issue isn’t the accuracy of any single IRGC claim but the uncertainty itself: even unconfirmed reports of mines on the route push up insurance premiums and freight rates for vessels transiting the strait.
Source: Reuters/gCaptain, Oct 17, 2026.