Iran Reports Fires Aboard at Least Five Vessels Near Hormuz

Iranian military statements described fires involving at least five vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil route, in claims issued over a 24-hour reporting period.

On Thursday afternoon, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said two oil tankers collided with naval mines east of the strait and caught fire. Earlier that day, the IRGC reported two overnight tanker incidents involving attempts to pass south of the waterway. A separate statement from the navy cited ignored maritime warnings and entry into prohibited areas without coordination as reasons for fires aboard the two tankers.

The 24-hour period describes when the reports emerged, not necessarily when all incidents happened. Some vessels may have been struck earlier in the week and remained adrift or burning.

The claims follow an earlier IRGC account that four oil tankers hit mines near Hormuz. Crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz stood at 8.5 million barrels per day in the week ended Wednesday, about 40% below normal prewar levels.