Tanker hit by projectile in Strait of Hormuz on October 11, crew safe
Key Facts
A tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile while sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz on October 11, 2026, according to a report from the UK Maritime Trade Operations, in the waterway through which Gulf oil and gas exports pass. The report put the time of the incident at 12:00 UTC, citing an account from the company's security officer. The officer said the projectile struck the tanker's port side, causing damage as it sailed out of the strait. The agency said all crew members were safe, with no environmental impact reported at the time of the attack. Its statement said: "All crew members were reported safe, and no environmental impact was reported."
Tasnim news agency cited a statement from the naval force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards saying a supertanker carrying crude oil suffered an explosion and fire while attempting to leave the strait. The statement attributed the explosion to the tanker striking a naval mine during its passage. The Revolutionary Guards described the route taken by the tanker as "unauthorised", a characterisation included in their account of the incident. The statement said, according to Tasnim, that the tanker had switched off its navigation and positioning systems before the incident. It added that the tanker "suffered a powerful explosion after striking a naval mine", linking the fire to the attempted passage it described.
In a separate incident in the Gulf of Oman, Reuters cited U.S. Central Command as saying a U.S. fighter jet struck the Panama-flagged cargo ship "Ocean Molika". The command said the strike targeted the ship's stern as it attempted to breach the blockade, according to the U.S. account. It said the strike completely disabled the propulsion system without harming crew members. The Panama Maritime Authority confirmed that the vessel had been struck by U.S. forces in an official statement naming "Ocean Molika". The announced U.S. strike thus involved a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, while the British agency's report concerned a tanker hit while leaving the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait's importance to energy supplies is highlighted by U.S. Energy Information Administration data, which estimated average oil flows through it at about 20 million barrels per day in 2024. The agency said most of the volumes passing through have no alternative route out of the region, with limited alternatives available through pipelines. About one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas trade also passed through the strait that year, with those shipments coming primarily from Qatar. In a development preceding the tanker incident, Reuters cited Kpler analysts as saying crude flows through the strait had fallen 27% from the wartime peak recorded the previous week. Flows following that decline stood at no less than 10.1 million barrels per day, according to the analysts' estimates of crude passing through the strait.
In the oil market, Brent futures had settled on October 8 at $104.28 a barrel, according to Reuters, before the tanker incident recorded on October 11. Crude gained $4.08 a barrel during that session, an increase of 4.1%. For historical comparison, front-month Brent futures settled on September 9 at $101.21 a barrel, according to the agency. The contracts rose $3.29 a barrel, or 3.4%, during that session. Those moves preceded a warning from International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, in remarks also made before the tanker incident, that "the problem of high energy prices could persist for some time even if the war in the Gulf ends soon".
In a follow-up, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said authorities were investigating the incident in which the tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile. The agency attached operational guidance for vessels transiting the strait to its report on the October 11 incident. It advised vessels to exercise caution while transiting the area where the tanker was hit. It also asked them to report any suspicious activity observed during their voyages. The guidance said: "Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to the UK Maritime Trade Operations."