Iran's IRGC says two tankers and a tugboat caught fire in Strait of Hormuz; one tanker struck a mine

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on November 5 that two oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire in separate incidents in the Strait of Hormuz, after the vessels allegedly attempted to use unauthorised routes. One tanker struck a mine while attempting to cross a passage south of the strait, while another supertanker caught fire while exiting a shipping lane in the eastern part of the waterway; a tugboat that approached the second vessel to help extinguish the fire also caught fire. The IRGC gave no details about possible casualties, the extent of the damage or the identities of the vessels involved. (Cover photo is a file photo of oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.)

Claims not independently verified; four more tankers said destroyed a day earlier

The claims, carried by Iran's official IRNA news agency, could not be independently verified. The IRGC said on November 4 that four oil tankers had been destroyed after striking naval mines while attempting to use a prohibited route south of the strait. The Strait of Hormuz, situated between Iran and Oman, is one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and carrying large volumes of oil and natural gas exports.

(Sources: Reuters, November 5, 2026, reporting the IRGC statement carried by IRNA; AnewZ. Cover photo is a file photo of oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.)