Three oil tankers struck sea mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz on October 29, 2026, as Iran declared the vital maritime corridor closed to non-compliant commercial traffic.
Tankers Burn After Mine Strikes in the Strait of Hormuz
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center confirmed that a captain had reported a vessel on fire roughly 9 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman, though officials could not immediately verify if that ship was among the three cited by the Revolutionary Guard. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that three oil tankers exploded and caught fire over a 24-hour period after hitting naval mines while transiting an unauthorized southern route through the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC added that the affected ships were subsequently abandoned on the southern shores of the waterway. Arab News Pakistan and the Maritime Executive reported that UKMTO Warning 185-26 verified at least one ship on fire in the strait around 0300 UTC on October 29, located roughly 9 nautical miles north of Khasab on Oman’s Musandam Peninsula. A Reuters review of International Maritime Organization and MarineTraffic records showed that more than 30 very large crude carriers have sustained damage during the conflict, including 11 in October alone, representing roughly 3.5% of the global supertanker fleet. According to data tracked by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, attacks on ships in the strait are at the highest level since the war began. Since the start of the conflict, the International Maritime Organisation has confirmed 121 maritime incidents involving commercial vessels across the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman.
Iran Demands Control While the United States Rejects the Closure
Major General Yazidi stated that the waterway will remain closed until Iran’s conditions are met, under the control of the warriors of Islam
. Iranian military officials asserted full operational control over the choke point, insisting that commercial traffic must coordinate with Tehran and meet specific terms before transit can resume. Tehran’s terms include the lifting of the U.S. maritime blockade and a $24 billion financial demand.
Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the Central Command, dismissed the claims in an email, stating, In the past weeks and months, the IRGC has repeatedly lied out of desperation, and today is no different
. The U.S. military strongly disputed Iranian assertions on the ground. The U.S. Navy continues to enforce its own blockade of Iranian shipping and has escorted commercial tankers through segments of the waterway, even as traffic has dropped sharply from pre-crisis averages. The U.S. military also denied a separate claim by Iran that the Revolutionary Guard used an electronic warfare operation to capture an American MQM-170 Outlaw surveillance drone intact and land it in Iranian territory, with U.S. Central Command stating the report was false.
Energy Exports and Dry Bulk Fleets Face Severe Disruptions
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has constrained energy exports and inflated shipping expenses. According to maritime insights, October emerged as the worst month on record for merchant ship attacks and oil washing onto the beaches of the United Arab Emirates.
Dry bulk and agricultural markets are also absorbing the shock. BIMCO projects that if the waterway remains closed through 2027, sailing speeds could fall by up to 1% in 2027 and 2028. As outlined in the BIMCO Dry Bulk Shipping Market Overview & Outlook, an estimated 0.5% of the dry bulk fleet is projected to remain stranded within the Persian Gulf throughout 2026.
Commercial Operators Weigh Conflicting Security Directives
While the U.S. Navy encourages vessels to utilize designated traffic schemes, Iranian authorities have warned shipowners not to rely on security assurances from Washington. Commercial operators navigating the region confront conflicting guidance from rival military commands. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump indicated that he is weighing potential responses to the ongoing escalation following the November 3 U.S. midterm elections, leaving the timing of any new strike campaign uncertain.