Iran says two tankers hit mines in Hormuz, US denies claim

Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed on Saturday, July 18, 2026, that two oil tankers struck mines and exploded in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil shipping lane. The United States military swiftly denied the assertion, escalating a tense military standoff that has seen the waterway effectively closed for a week.

The Guards, in a statement published by the state news agency IRNA, alleged the vessels exploded after being misled by U.S. intelligence agencies into attempting to pass through a minefield south of the strait. They did not identify the tankers. The statement warned sailors not to be deceived and to avoid the area to protect their lives and capital. In a separate announcement, the Guards stated they had "stopped" four other ships attempting to transit the strait using a combined missile and drone operation, claiming those vessels had U.S. military support.

U.S. Central Command issued a brief denial on the social media platform X, stating, "Like most IRGC claims, this is false." There has been no independent verification of the alleged tanker incidents or the existence of a minefield, and international maritime authorities have not confirmed any such events.