Iran says tankers hit its mines in the Strait of Hormuz, while the US insists the main shipping routes are clear
Iran's Revolutionary Guards say three tankers exploded after using a route Tehran calls "unauthorised", and its army says a fourth was hit. The US says the main routes have been cleared of mines. A UK maritime agency confirmed only that one tanker was struck near Oman.
The Strait of Hormuz is dangerous for shipping again. Iran says several tankers have struck its sea mines in the past day. The United States says the main routes through the strait are clear. Only one attack on a tanker has been independently confirmed so far.
Here is what we know, and what we do not.
What Iran says
Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Thursday, 29 October, that three tankers exploded and caught fire after hitting mines while leaving the strait by a southern route that Tehran calls "unauthorised", AFP reported. The IRGC said the ships had "switched off all their radar and navigation systems" and ignored warnings from its navy, and that the route is mined.
Iran's army later said a fourth tanker had caught fire east of the strait after striking mines and was "unable to move", according to AFP.
Iran has not named any of the ships, and the claims have not been independently verified. The Associated Press said it could not confirm them, Gulf News reported.
What has been confirmed
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO), which tracks attacks on ships in the region, confirmed that a tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile at about 4pm GMT on Thursday near Khasab in Oman, while sailing out of the strait. No crew were reported injured, and UKMTO did not say who was behind the attack, according to Gulf News.
UKMTO also reported that a smaller wooden boat, a dhow, caught fire and sank north of Khasab. Its crew were evacuated safely, AFP and Gulf News reported.
What the US says
US Central Command repeated that mines have been cleared from the "primary transit routes" through the strait, according to AFP. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi replied on X: "Prove your Hormuz mine-clearing claim with independent evidence, not statements!"
The US has blockaded Iranian ports and helped tankers through the strait. Central Command says it has helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through Hormuz since the summer, AFP reported.
Why it matters
About one-fifth of the world's oil and gas normally passes through the strait, which Iran has tightly restricted since the war began on 28 February. Attacks on ships there have repeatedly pushed up the cost of fuel and food around the world, as we explained here.
The incidents come as mediators try to keep talks alive. Iran has confirmed it received a letter from US Vice President JD Vance, delivered through Qatari mediators, but has not yet replied, according to Gulf News and Iran International. US President Donald Trump has said he is still weighing a deal against new strikes, as we reported last week.
We will update this story as the ships are identified and more is confirmed.
Sources
This story is based on reporting and documents from:
We check facts with at least two independent sources. How we work
Written by
Saad AliSaad Ali is the founder and editor of Signal 24. He writes about geopolitics, the Middle East and the stories shaping the world.
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