Breaking

Iran's Guard says two tankers exploded after hitting mines in Strait of Hormuz

Strait of Hormuz • November 2, 2026 • By Press Pass USA

Editorial illustration: a large oil tanker crossing a narrow strait at dusk, with a burning vessel and thick black smoke in the distance

Editorial illustration — Press Pass USA

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said Sunday that two oil tankers, including a supertanker, exploded after striking naval mines while using an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil shipping lanes.

In a statement published on Sepah News, the Guard's official outlet, the navy said the supertanker "suffered a massive explosion and is burning," and that both vessels were stopped after hitting the mines within the hours before the announcement, according to China's Xinhua news agency. Reuters also reported the claim on Sunday, citing Iranian state media.

The Guard said both vessels had switched off their navigation and identification systems and had ignored repeated warnings against using the restricted route. The statement did not name the vessels, and the claims about their route, their cargoes and the condition of their crews have not been independently verified.

Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said on November 1 that it had received a report of an incident in the Strait of Hormuz at about 1509 UTC, in which the master of a merchant vessel relayed a Mayday call saying another vessel had been struck by an unknown projectile. No link between that report and the Guard's two tankers has been established.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, condemned the targeting of the Al Mayeda liquefied natural gas carrier, owned by Qatar Gas Transport Company, in the waters of the Arabian Gulf, according to reports of the Saudi statement.

The incidents come as the Strait of Hormuz sits at the center of both a war and a negotiation. Iran tightened its grip on the waterway on February 28, barring safe passage for vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States after the two countries carried out joint strikes on Iranian territory. On Sunday, Iranian negotiators were in Doha for a third consecutive day of talks with Qatari mediators aimed at a deal to end the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, including a proposal to reopen the strait within two days of a potential agreement with Washington.

President Donald Trump has said the United States will not launch new attacks on Iran before the November 3 midterm elections, but has not ruled out further military action afterwards. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that Trump has not decided on new strikes and would prefer to resolve the conflict diplomatically.

Sources: Reuters (Nov. 1, 2026); Xinhua via BizzBuzz and Daily Imroz (Nov. 1–2, 2026); United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations warning (Nov. 1, 2026), as reported by ANI; Saudi statement on the Al Mayeda, as reported by ANI (Nov. 2, 2026). The mine-strike account is attributed to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy and has not been independently verified.