Iranian Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday (October 20, 2026) that their naval mines halted two tankers attempting to travel the Strait of Hormuz via routes considered illegal by Tehran.
Iranian forces have, since the outbreak of the West Asia war, repeatedly targeted ships attempting to pass through Hormuz via a southern route close to the Omani coast. Iran has attempted to blockade the strategic waterway, demanding all ships seek its authorisation to cross. In peacetime Hormuz carried around a fifth of the world’s oil supplies. The United States has imposed a counterblockade on Iranian ports in response. Attacks on vessels attempting to cross the waterway have increased in recent days, as Washington seeks to escort more ships through the strait while Tehran seeks to maintain control over passage.
The conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, killing the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders. On Monday (October 19), Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi again blamed Washington for insecurity in the strait. The Revolutionary Guards also said they had shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone. On Monday (October 19), the Guards said a tanker caught fire after hitting a mine, while the day before it said two other tankers had hit mines.
“Two violating oil tankers were set ablaze and halted due to the explosion of mines planted by the brave sailors of the IRGC Navy at an illegal crossing point in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz,” the Guards said in a statement published on their official Sepah News website .
