IRGC says it struck two oil tankers under US escort in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed Friday that its naval forces struck and halted two oil tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz under US military air escort, further escalating a maritime standoff now in its fifth month.

IRGC Claims Tankers Ignored Warnings

According to a statement from the IRGC, the two vessels attempted to transit what Iran described as an "unsafe and illegal route" in the early hours of Friday morning, disregarding explicit warnings from Iranian forces. Four other tankers traveling in the area immediately changed course and returned to their points of departure following the strikes.royanews

The IRGC addressed its statement to shipping companies and maritime insurers, advising them to ignore guidance from US Central Command and instead consult "maritime actors involved in recent incidents" about the security situation in the waterway. The IRGC Navy warned that "illegal interventions and directives by the US military to vessels operating in the region would not remain unanswered".royanews

CENTCOM Rejects Iran's Claims

US Central Command responded Friday by rejecting Iran's broader assertion that the Strait of Hormuz is closed. "Once again, the Iranian government claims it has closed the Strait of Hormuz. This is false," CENTCOM said in a post on X. The command said the waterway remains open to commercial vessel traffic and that Iran does not control the passage. "Thousands of ships have sailed through the international waterway over the past four months," CENTCOM stated.middleeastmonitor+2

CENTCOM also said more than 20 warships and hundreds of military aircraft remain deployed to enforce what it described as a "steel wall blockade," adding that US forces have redirected 24 commercial vessels and boarded four others to maintain maritime security.yenisafak

Escalation Amid Broader Conflict

The tanker strikes came on the 154th day of hostilities between the United States and Iran, which began in late February when Washington and Israel launched an air campaign against Tehran. Iran has sought to block the strait — through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply passes — since the conflict began. President Donald Trump told Fox News ↘ 0.76% on Friday that the war is "going well," adding, "All you can do is keep winning, then eventually something will happen".wikipedia+1

Anadolu Agency reported Friday that the IRGC's claims followed a CENTCOM statement about redirected commercial vessels and disputed navigation warnings in the strait.aa