IRGC says two tankers hit mines in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Friday that two oil tankers exploded and caught fire after entering a mined area south of the Strait of Hormuz, blaming American intelligence agencies for directing the vessels into the minefield. The claim came amid the sixth consecutive night of U.S. strikes on Iranian military targets, marking one of the most dangerous phases yet of the months-long U.S.-Iran war.

"An hour ago, two oil tankers, which were trying to pass through the minefield south of the Strait of Hormuz by deceptive American intelligence agencies, exploded and caught fire," the Guards said in a statement published by Iran's state news agency IRNA, according to Agence France-Presse.nampa

Strait Declared Closed, Exports Blocked

The IRGC also declared that no oil, gas, or petrochemical exports would pass through the Strait of Hormuz as long as U.S. attacks on Iran continued, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency. The declaration represents a hardening of Tehran's posture in the waterway, which typically carries roughly one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil.fxstreet

According to shipping data reviewed by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, just one commercial vessel transited the Strait of Hormuz on July 17, compared to a pre-war daily average of 138 ships. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center also reported that a projectile struck a tanker off the coast of Oman on July 17.jinsa

Broader Conflict Context

The tanker incident occurred during a period of rapidly escalating hostilities. U.S. Central Command announced that American forces struck "dozens of Iranian military targets" overnight on July 16–17, including coastal surveillance sites, air defense systems, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime capabilities. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, and commercial shipping.understandingwar+2

The current escalation followed the collapse of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on June 17, which had aimed to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz over a 60-day negotiation period. Trump declared the agreement "over" on July 8 after Iran struck three commercial vessels in the strait on July 6–7.jinsa+2

Iran has also signaled it may expand the conflict further. On July 16, three sources told Reuters ↗ 1.21% that Iranian authorities instructed Houthi rebels in Yemen to prepare to close the Bab el Mandeb Strait, a separate shipping chokepoint near the Red Sea, if U.S. forces strike Iran's energy infrastructure.understandingwar+1