Tehran, Sept 2026 : Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has claimed that a super oil tanker attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz through a “forbidden” route south of the strategic waterway exploded and caught fire after striking naval mines.
In a statement carried by the IRGC’s official news outlet Sepah News, the Navy said efforts to contain the blaze on the tanker, identified as EL GAIA, were unsuccessful, with the fire eventually engulfing the entire vessel.
The IRGC said the tanker had been warned about the risks of using what it described as an “illegal” route through the Strait of Hormuz. It reiterated that the strategic waterway remains closed and is under the control of Iranian naval forces.
The incident came as Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), which oversees maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, issued a separate warning to insurance companies and classification societies regarding vessels listed by Tehran as “violating” ships.
In a post on social media platform X, the PGSA warned insurance companies, protection and indemnity (P&I) clubs and classification societies against providing services to the vessels on its updated list.
The authority said such organisations should refrain from dealing with the listed vessels in order to avoid consequences arising from providing services to them.
The latest development adds to growing tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes and a key passage for global energy shipments.
Earlier this month, the IRGC said its naval forces had targeted a US unmanned surface vehicle (USV) operating in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to a statement published by Sepah News, the USV, identified as a Saildrone Explorer, was allegedly carrying out what Iran described as an “aggressive mission” and was struck near the entrance to the strategic waterway.
The IRGC said Saildrone Explorer unmanned vessels had previously been used in the region by the US Fifth Fleet and Task Force 59, which is headquartered in Bahrain. It claimed that the USVs are now being operated by a unit based in Khasab, Oman.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard also referred to previous attacks involving the US naval base in Bahrain, claiming that the facility had been targeted during Iranian strikes.
The IRGC reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz was closed and under its control, warning that “any hostile presence in the strategic waterway will be targeted.”
The situation follows a major escalation in regional tensions after US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Tehran subsequently restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while US forces imposed a naval blockade targeting vessels travelling to and from Iranian ports.
The latest tanker incident and Iran’s warnings to maritime service providers are likely to further complicate commercial shipping through the strategically vital waterway.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
