Iran IRGC Claims Oil Tanker Explosion in Strait of Hormuz

Conflicting Accounts of the Strait of Hormuz Tanker Explosion

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated late Monday that the tanker El Gaia was traveling along the southern route through the Strait of Hormuz when it struck a sea mine and exploded, according to IRIB reporting. State broadcasts claimed the entire vessel went up in flames following the detonation, adding that the strait is closed and remains under military control. The United States military rejected that account entirely. United States Central Command stated on X that the Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was struck by an Iranian missile last month and rendered inoperable. Central Command added that Iran struck the tanker a second time with a drone over the weekend while the ship sat in waters off the coast of Oman.

Maritime Control and Regional Stakes

According to regional reports, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps naval command previously warned against using the southern route through the strait. The navy stated it had mined the southern passage, declared only a northern route along the Iranian coast to be safe, and was charging fees for commercial passage. United States Central Command disputed those assertions, noting that the damaged tanker is currently being towed by a regional partner. The military command characterized the Iranian claims as false assertions and intimidation attempts designed to impede commercial vessels operating in the waterway. The Strait of Hormuz serves as a central point of contention between Tehran and Washington amid the ongoing conflict. Before the war, roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passed through the vital maritime corridor, alongside liquefied natural gas and fertilizer exports from Gulf states. A meeting of foreign ministers from Gulf states scheduled for Monday to discuss security in the Strait of Hormuz was canceled at short notice, according to regional reporting.