Three Tankers Catch Fire in Strait of Hormuz, IRGC Says, as UAE Rescues 22 Crew

Several vessels caught fire overnight in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said three oil tankers caught fire and exploded in the strait on November 8, while the UAE National Guard said the UAE Coast Guard rescued all 22 crew members from a burning cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman. No deaths have been reported in the tanker fires, and the vessels' identities have not been confirmed. (Cover photo is a 2019 file photo of the tanker Front Altair after an attack in the Gulf of Oman, unrelated to this incident.)

IRGC says three tankers struck mines; third fire unverified

The Revolutionary Guards Navy first said two tankers had struck naval mines — one east of the strait and one inside it — and later raised the tally to three, saying all three suffered explosions and severe fires on Sunday morning, according to its official outlet Sepah News. The Guards said the tankers had switched off their navigation and GPS systems and were trying to use an unauthorised route, accusing them of repeated violations. The cause of the third fire, and the names, flags and cargoes of the vessels, were not given, and the account has not been independently verified. The Guards warned that any vessel cooperating with the US military and defying Iranian rules would "definitely" strike naval mines.

UAE rescues 22; UK reports separate tanker fire off Khasab

The UAE National Guard said on Sunday that, after receiving a distress call from the crew, Coast Guard teams moved immediately and rescued all 22 crew members from the burning cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman. All were Arab nationals, in stable condition, and were handed over to the relevant authorities after receiving first aid; the statement did not identify the vessel or give a cause for the fire. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency separately reported that a tanker caught fire on Saturday about eight nautical miles northwest of Khasab, Oman, and that its crew had been evacuated. The agency did not identify the tanker or say whether it was the vessel whose crew the UAE rescued. The Associated Press noted that it remains unclear whether the various reports are connected.

Context: US disabled the Huda a day earlier and set up Task Force Iron Gate

The incidents came as the United States tightens its blockade of Iran. US Central Command said on November 7 that a US military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of the St Kitts and Nevis-flagged cargo ship M/V Huda, disabling it after the vessel ignored repeated warnings and tried to breach the naval blockade of Iran; the crew had been evacuated beforehand and no one was hurt. The US military also announced Task Force Iron Gate, about 20 civilian and military personnel based in Tampa, Florida, to disrupt Iran's movement of advanced weapons and other sanctioned goods by land and across the Caspian Sea. Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until Washington meets its demands. The Associated Press reported that October saw the highest number of attacks on commercial vessels in the strait since March.