Boat Attaches Two Mines to Hormuz Tanker, Setting Engine Room Ablaze

Key Facts

A small boat attached two limpet mines to the hull of an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire in the engine room and temporarily disabling the vessel, according to maritime sources cited in a Reuters report published on October 30, 2026. The incident took place on Thursday 25 nautical miles, or 46 kilometers, northeast of Khasab in Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency. The agency said the crew was safe, the fire had been extinguished and there had been no environmental impact. The tanker was continuing toward its next port after the incident. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, the report said.

Reuters described the incident as the first known successful use of limpet mines in the waterway since the U.S.-Iran war began in February 2026. The report quoted the Marisks group as saying that a small boat's ability to approach a passing tanker, plant devices and withdraw posed a major security concern. The group said the possibility raised particular concerns in the busy Strait of Hormuz. The attack places the incident within the broader risks to maritime security in a vital shipping corridor. The report did not identify the party that carried out the operation.

In a separate account, Iran said 3 oil tankers were struck by mines and caught fire as they tried to leave the strait via an unauthorized route. The Associated Press reported that the claim concerned events during the 24 hours before its report was published on October 29, 2026. But the agency said it could not confirm the Iranian account. That account differs from the details of the incident reported by Reuters, which cited maritime sources describing a small boat attaching two limpet mines to one tanker. The published reports did not establish whether the two accounts were related or identify who was responsible for the attack.

The attack coincided with a sharp slowdown in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, according to a Reuters report based on ship-tracking data from Kpler. 5 cargo vessels crossed the strait on Saturday, while no vessels were recorded on Sunday. During the previous weekend, 31 vessels crossed. The report said shipping had slowed after the attacks on tankers, as U.S.-Iran talks aimed at resolving the Middle East conflict stalled. Available sources did not establish that the attack caused the decline in UAE stock indices mentioned in the initial draft, nor did they confirm those figures through a reliable source.