Three Oil Tankers Catch Fire After Hitting Naval Mines in Strait of Hormuz; Iran Issues Warning to Ships

Iran’s Navy and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have claimed that three oil tankers caught fire after striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, raising fresh concerns over the safety of commercial shipping through one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.

According to Iranian state media reports, one tanker struck a naval mine in the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday morning, November 14, while two other tankers reportedly hit mines later in the day.

In a statement carried by Iran’s IRNA news agency, the Revolutionary Guards Navy said the two vessels involved in the later incidents were attempting to pass through a restricted maritime route without authorisation.

The Iranian military claimed that the tankers had switched off their radar and positioning systems while attempting to transit the waterway through an unauthorised route. They subsequently struck naval mines, exploded and caught fire.

A separate statement from Iran’s conventional Navy said another tanker had caught fire and was forced to stop after hitting a naval mine in an area east of the Strait of Hormuz that Tehran had designated unsafe and prohibited for navigation.

Iranian authorities did not disclose the names, nationalities or ownership details of the three vessels. They also did not provide details about casualties, the extent of damage or possible oil spills.

Iran Warns Ships Against Entering Restricted Maritime Zones

The incidents underline Tehran’s increasingly restrictive approach to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Since the outbreak of the war with the United States in February 2026, Iran has sought to exercise greater control over vessel movements through the strategic waterway, insisting that ships obtain its authorisation before transiting certain routes.

Iranian military statements have warned commercial vessels against entering designated restricted areas, claiming that ships attempting to use unauthorised routes risk striking naval mines.

The United States, meanwhile, has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and provided military support to tankers navigating the region.

Independent Verification Remains Pending

The US military has said that it has cleared the main shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz of mines, adding another dimension to the competing claims over maritime security in the region.

The latest incidents are likely to intensify concerns among shipping companies, energy traders and oil-importing nations about the security of tanker movements through the Gulf region.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy transit route, making any disruption to commercial shipping a matter of international concern.