Iranian Guards Say Three Tankers Caught Fire in Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said three tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz on November 8, alleging they were using an unauthorized channel. The Guards did not identify the vessels, and the reports did not independently verify their account of what caused the fires.

The November 8 statement described the tankers as noncompliant and said they exploded and caught fire while sailing in what Iran called an illegal channel. It did not specify the ships’ names or nationalities. The allegations came amid restrictions Iran has imposed on traffic through the strategic waterway, with Tehran requiring vessels to use routes it authorizes.

The statement followed a separate announcement by the Guards on November 6 that two tankers had caught fire after striking mines while attempting to transit by an unauthorized route. The Guards said one vessel was east of the Strait of Hormuz and the other within it. They also alleged the tankers had disabled their navigation and identification systems. Those claims were carried in Iranian state media, but the reports provided no independent confirmation that the ships struck mines or were using an unauthorized route.