File image.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on October 11 that a crude-oil supertanker struck a sea mine in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering an explosion and a fire in its engine room, as attacks on commercial shipping continued in the region.

In a statement, the IRGC Navy said the tanker was attempting to leave the strait through an “unauthorized route” with its navigation and identification systems switched off.

The incident marked the third time since the previous day that an oil tanker had struck a mine and caught fire while using what Iran described as an unauthorized route, according to the Corps.

“All vessels within the Strait of Hormuz that switch off their navigation and identification systems will be identified as hostile and dealt with firmly and decisively,” the IRGC Navy said.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported on October 11 that an outbound tanker had been struck on its port side by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, sustaining damage. The crew were reported safe, and authorities were investigating.

India subsequently identified the vessel as the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Valthera. Indian officials reported that a fire broke out aboard the ship but that all 11 Indian crew members were safe. The available reports did not establish who was responsible for the attack.

In a separate incident, the tanker MT Petro Dolphin was attacked by a drone at Sohar Anchorage in Oman, according to Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Nine of the 11 Indian seafarers aboard were rescued, while two remained missing as search-and-rescue operations continued with the local Coast Guard.

“We are continuously coordinating with all relevant authorities to fully support the ongoing rescue efforts and ensure every possible action is taken to safely locate our missing personnel,” Sonowal said.

The attack on Petro Dolphin occurred in the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz itself. Still, the area is within the conflict zone.

The incidents come amid an escalation in attacks on commercial shipping. Last week saw the highest number of tanker attacks in a single week since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in February, according to maritime security sources cited by Reuters.

Ship traffic through the strait has also declined sharply, with only seven commodity-carrying vessels passing through on October 6, the lowest daily total in more than two months, according to Kpler data reported by the news agency.

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• A supertanker MT GEM No. 2 struck a mine after being hit by a projectile in Hormuz. The UAE rescued all 22 Indian crew members;
• A U.S. fighter jet struck and disabled the commercial cargo vessel Ocean Molica in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports;
• Ships near Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE were instructed by Iran through VHF radio broadcasts to leave their anchorages.

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Illustrative image. (U.S. Central Command)

The United States said its military disabled a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on October 10 after the vessel ignored warnings and attempted to breach a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

An American fighter jet struck the stern of the Panama-flagged Ocean Molica, also known as Arika Sun, with a precision munition, disabling the ship’s propulsion system without injuring its crew, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement posted on X.

The cargo ship had left a port in the Islamic Republic before attempting to transit regional waters, according to the command.

“Four commercial vessels have been disabled and 135 ships have been turned around during three months of strict enforcement. Additionally, U.S. forces have destroyed 10 tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) multibillion-dollar shadow network over the same period,” CENTCOM said.

The incident came amid reports of other threats to commercial shipping near the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC said on October 9 that a supertanker had caught fire after striking a naval mine while attempting to leave the strait by what it described as an “unauthorized and dangerous route.”

Other reports said a tanker had been struck by an unidentified projectile. India confirmed that all 22 crew members aboard the MT GEM No. 2 were safe following an incident off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said several ships near Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE had reported receiving radio instructions to leave their anchorages. The agency classified the incident as “suspicious activity” and said it was under investigation, without identifying who issued the instructions or whether the vessels complied.

Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained sharply reduced on October 11. Reuters reported that vessel transits had fallen to their lowest level in more than two months, following a previous week in which tanker attacks reached their highest weekly total since the United States and Israel began their war against Iran in February.

The Hormuz.now shipping tracker recorded an average of about 10 commercial crossings a day over the preceding week, compared with roughly 85 before the crisis. The figures may exclude vessels whose tracking systems are switched off while moving through the strait.

Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz carried about one-fifth of the world’s oil consumption, making the disruption a major concern for global energy shipments.

The latest attack by CENTCOM will likely lead to more escalation in the waterway as Iran is guaranteed to strike back with full force.

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