Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said two oil tankers exploded and caught fire after passing through a mined route south of the Strait of Hormuz, adding a new maritime flashpoint to a conflict already disrupting one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
The claim, carried by Iranian state television and reported by regional outlets late Friday, has not been independently verified by List25. But it lands as the U.S. and Iran are already trading strikes around the Gulf, and as commercial shipping through Hormuz has fallen sharply under the pressure of mines, blockade enforcement, missile fire, and route warnings.
Middle East Eye reported that Iran’s state TV said the two tankers exploded and caught fire after passing through a mined route south of the strait, citing a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Shafaq News reported the same IRGC claim, adding that the Guard alleged the vessels had been “deceived” by U.S. intelligence into using the route.
The IRGC also said the Strait of Hormuz was “completely closed” because of ongoing U.S. military operations, warning commercial vessels to avoid the mined corridor, according to Shafaq. That claim should be treated cautiously: neither the U.S. military nor independent maritime monitors had publicly confirmed the tanker explosions at the time of publication.
A new risk for ships already avoiding Hormuz
The report matters because Hormuz is not a normal regional waterway. Before the war, roughly a fifth of global oil and gas flows moved through the strait, making even a limited mining incident a global shipping and energy concern.
The Guardian reported Friday that the U.S. military had launched a seventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran, with Iranian media reporting explosions in Sirik, Ahvaz, and Yazd. The same report said the IRGC later claimed two oil tankers had hit mines in Hormuz and exploded, though it noted there were no further details.
The Guardian also reported earlier Friday that U.S. strikes hit bridges in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, a tower at Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman, electrical infrastructure, and Iranshahr airport. Iranian state TV said at least seven people were killed in the bridge strikes, while Iran’s health ministry said renewed U.S. attacks had killed at least 38 people and wounded more than 400 by Friday morning.
The crisis is moving from airstrikes to sea lanes
The tanker-mine report follows several days of escalating maritime enforcement. CBS News reported that U.S. Central Command said it had redirected four commercial ships since President Donald Trump ordered a renewed blockade on Iranian ports. CENTCOM also said one additional ship was disabled by a missile fired at its smokestack, and another vessel was boarded Thursday to verify compliance.
CBS cited maritime tracking data showing only eight ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the lowest level in three weeks. Seven of those used the Iranian route rather than the U.S.-supported route along the Omani coast, a sign that ship operators are making decisions around battlefield risk rather than normal navigation.
The latest Iranian claim, if confirmed, would sharpen that fear. Mine damage to two tankers would suggest the crisis is no longer just about airstrikes, blockades, and competing route instructions. It would mean the physical waterway itself is becoming more dangerous for commercial vessels, with every transit carrying a higher risk of miscalculation, accidental damage, or direct attack.
For now, the safest reading is also the most sober one: Iran is claiming two tankers hit mines near Hormuz, multiple outlets have reported the claim, and independent confirmation is still needed. Even without confirmation, the report shows how quickly the Strait of Hormuz crisis is turning into a direct test of global shipping security.