Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday that two supertankers hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz, but there was no independent confirmation.
The IRGC Navy said an oil tanker hit a mine in the strait, causing an explosion and fire, according to Iranian Tasnim news agency and Mehr.
It said the vessel was a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil. The IRGC said it was using an unauthorised route and had switched off its positioning and radar systems.
Later on Saturday, the IRGC said a second supertanker had also hit a mine. According to IOL, it said the vessel was "engulfed in a massive blaze" and also carried more than two million barrels.
Iran's state news agency IRNA said the second vessel had been left immobilised, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
The statement did not give the exact location of either incident, according to The New Arab and CBS News. IOL reported that the origin of the oil and the flag of the tanker were not immediately disclosed.
No vessel names, owners, crew reports or casualty figures had been published. No neutral source, such as the maritime agency UKMTO or the ships' owners, had confirmed the mine strikes or the fires.
The IRGC Navy also said the Strait of Hormuz was closed, according to Tasnim and Mehr. The agencies reported that it warned vessels violating Iran's rules would face the fire of the US military. The wording should be checked against the originals.
No US response to the latest claims had been found. The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) did not comment in the reports reviewed.
There is a precedent for disputed claims. On 2 September, CNBC reported a similar IRGC claim that two tankers had hit mines. CENTCOM disputed it, saying "No ships have hit mines" and calling the claim "disinformation".
Separately, UKMTO said a tanker was hit by an "unknown projectile" 68 nautical miles off Jubail, Saudi Arabia, on Friday. It said all crew were safe. The New Arab reported the incident separately from the IRGC claim.
Earlier, the IRGC Navy said another tanker had hit a mine and suffered an engine-room explosion, without naming the vessel, according to the Express Tribune. It is unclear whether that was the same incident as Saturday's claims.
CBS News said in a live blog headline that reported attacks on ships in or near the strait had reached a record high, according to data.
The Jerusalem Post reported that attacks around the waterway had surged over the past two weeks. It said Iran stated it was stepping up strikes in response to the US blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions imposed last month.
The Jerusalem Post also reported that the disruption had raised global energy prices and inflation.
Mohsen Rezaei, described by the Tribune as secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, accused the CENTCOM chief of running oil-smuggling operations in the strait with help from the UAE military.
The strait is about 30km wide at its narrowest, with Iran to the north and Oman to the south, according to IOL. It normally carries about one-fifth of global oil consumption, The New Arab reported.
According to the Tribune, the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on 28 February 2026. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively closed the strait. The US later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
The Tribune reported that the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June on freedom of navigation, but implementation stalled over security disagreements.
In late August, CENTCOM said shipping lanes had reopened after US forces removed Iranian mines, the Tribune reported. Iran said on 12 July it had again closed the strait, after US attacks resumed on 8 July.
The Tribune said Tehran had threatened vessels that use routes other than those it designates, or that cross without permission.
Iran used mines against oil tankers in 1987 and 1988 during the so-called Tanker War, according to PBS.
The claims conflict with CENTCOM's earlier position that the lanes were open. Any US response, maritime agency confirmation or further IRGC statements had not been reported.
Photo: Matthiasb; Kartographie von OpenStreetMap-Mitwirkenden. / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
