Iran claims seven tankers damaged in Strait of Hormuz amid escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil transit corridors, experienced sharp escalation in tensions this week. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy initially reported that an oil tanker caught fire and exploded after striking a naval mine. The IRGC alleged that the vessel had illegally switched off its navigation systems and warned that any ship doing so in the strait or the Persian Gulf would be dealt with "severely and decisively."

Several days later, the IRGC made a far more significant claim, stating that seven oil tankers had been struck or damaged overnight. According to Iran, four tankers caught fire during oil transfer operations while three were disabled by mines. The Iranian military described this as the largest single-day toll for the waterway since the United States and Israel began their war against Iran on 28 February. Tehran issued a warning that it could strike American military bases across the Middle East if Washington intervened to protect shipping, which it called "a serious warning."

None of these claims could be independently verified, and US officials dismissed them as an attempt to raise oil prices ahead of American elections. Nevertheless, this episode reveals the volatility of a conflict that has already involved regional powers, disrupted approximately one fifth of global seaborne oil traffic through the strait, and prompted several countries to take action. Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia have signed a new defence cooperation pact intended to diversify their security partnerships beyond their reliance on Washington.