Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Friday that four oil tankers caught fire after striking mines while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, including a supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude. Iranian officials described the vessels as using unauthorized or dangerous routes, but did not identify the ships or provide independent evidence linking all four fires to mines.
The claims followed a separate incident involving the Panama-flagged tanker Riti near Oman’s Musandam Governorate. Oman’s navy evacuated 25 crew members after the vessel was targeted and caught fire about 1. 6 nautical miles from the coast. Maritime authorities did not establish whether the Riti fire was one of the incidents described by Iran.
British maritime authorities separately reported a vessel on fire about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, on Thursday evening. The fire was later reported extinguished, and the crew was safe. Another notice said a tanker exiting the strait on the southern route was struck by a projectile, with no reported crew injuries or environmental impact at the time of the alert.
The United States disputed Iran’s account, saying internationally recognized primary shipping routes through the strait had been cleared of mines. The disagreement leaves the reported number and causes of the tanker incidents unresolved, while commercial vessels face competing route guidance and continuing security warnings. International maritime guidance says ships leaving the strait may use southern or northern routes after consulting maritime authorities and conducting their own risk assessments.
Oil prices rose more than 2% on Friday as the reports added to fears that attacks or mine hazards could disrupt traffic through the narrow waterway. The Strait of Hormuz had previously carried roughly one-fifth of global oil and natural-gas deliveries, making any threat to tanker movements a direct concern for energy markets. The immediate next steps are continued monitoring of the affected vessels, further clarification from Iranian, Omani and U.S. Authorities, and decisions by shipping operators about whether the available routes remain acceptable for transit.