Four oil tankers were hit by explosions in the Strait of Hormuz this week, Iran’s military said on Thursday, in the latest wave of attacks on shipping through the world’s most important oil chokepoint.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said two supertankers were disabled by explosions on Wednesday after they ignored warnings against using what it described as an “unauthorised route”. Iranian state media said the two vessels “exploded after hitting naval mines” and broadcast what it said was video footage of the incidents.
Iran’s army later said two further tankers struck mines on Thursday afternoon while sailing through the eastern Strait of Hormuz after ignoring warnings and disabling their radar systems, according to state television. The tankers entered a restricted area and subsequently caught fire, it reported.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said in reports on Thursday that a vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile about 14 nautical miles northwest of the UAE emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah on Wednesday while leaving the strait, causing a fire in its engine room. Firefighting efforts were under way and all crew had been evacuated, it added.
The attacks are continuing despite a rebound in traffic through the strait and expectations of a de-escalation in the war between the United States and Iran, expectations that have been reflected in falling oil prices. Earlier in the war, which began in February, the Revolutionary Guards Navy announced its attacks on tankers. More recently it has instead reported that vessels caught fire after hitting naval mines while crossing the southern part of the strait, which it has declared an unauthorised route. In several of those cases, the maritime trade agency has said vessels were struck by unknown projectiles.
At least 10 ships were hit in the first 10 days of November, after 37 attacks in October, the highest monthly tally since the conflict began in late February, according to data from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Brent crude rose more than 3 per cent on Thursday to around $96 a barrel as the latest incidents rattled oil markets.
Reuters said it could not immediately verify the Iranian account, and the identities of the four tankers and the condition of their crews have not been independently confirmed. The core claim in this report therefore rests on Iranian military and state-media statements, corroborated only in part by the maritime trade agency’s report of a projectile strike.
Sources: Reuters — https://kwsn.com/2026/11/12/four-tankers-struck-by-explosions-in-strait-of-hormuz-iran-says/ (syndicated Reuters report, 12 November 2026); United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
