Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Says Two Oil Tankers Hit by Mines Near Strait of Hormuz
Key Facts
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said two oil tankers were hit by sea mines near the Strait of Hormuz on November 15, caught fire and one sank. Anadolu Agency reported the announcement, but the extent of the damage to the tankers was unclear. The report did not name the tanker the Guard said had sunk. It also gave no details about the crews’ identities, nationalities or destinations. The announcement comes amid a series of reports of incidents targeting commercial vessels in and around the passage.
In a separate warning dated November 15, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received a report from Indian shipping authorities of an attack on a tanker in the Arabian Gulf. The tanker was heading east and had not yet entered the Strait of Hormuz, according to the warning. UKMTO said the tanker’s crew was safe. The warning did not say whether the attack reported by Indian shipping authorities was the same incident described by the Revolutionary Guard. The organization advised vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.
UKMTO said the damage assessment and environmental impact were unknown at the time the warning was issued. This leaves the details of the physical impact of the attack reported by Indian shipping authorities unresolved in the information available in the warning. The warning also did not say whether the tanker continued its voyage or needed assistance. The Guard’s announcement about the two oil tankers did not specify the extent of the damage or provide information about the crews. The account that both tankers caught fire and one sank therefore remains attributed to the Revolutionary Guard.
These reports follow Iranian accounts of incidents near the strait on November 14. The Associated Press, citing Iranian television, reported that 3 oil tankers were hit by Iranian sea mines and caught fire near the strait. Iranian media gave no details about casualties, the tankers’ nationalities or their destinations, according to the agency. The Revolutionary Guard and the Iranian navy warned that vessels using routes through the strait without Iran’s approval would face a similar fate, the Associated Press reported. The agency said October recorded the highest number of incidents involving commercial vessels in disputed waters since the war began in February.
On maritime protection, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had asked other countries to help protect vessels from Iranian attacks in the strait. Rubio acknowledged that no progress had been made on the issue during Group of Seven talks in Paris, according to the Associated Press. He said U.S. allies, including France, had linked the provision of minesweepers and assistance to protect vessels to a halt in the fighting. In its warning about the attack on the eastbound tanker, UKMTO urged vessels to continue transiting with caution and report suspicious activity. The warning did not set a date for an update to the damage or environmental impact assessment.