Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy reports tanker incidents and claims destruction of U.S. unmanned vessel in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy announced that two oil tankers that had turned off their navigation systems were stopped in waters south of the Strait of Hormuz after ignoring radio warnings and attempting an unauthorized route. The navy said the vessels sustained damage and caught fire after striking naval mines.

In a related statement, the IRGC Navy claimed that an "enemy vessel" operating in the eastern zone of the strait was destroyed by its forces. The same statement warned that any further movement or provocative action in the area would be met with a "decisive and proportionate response."

British maritime authorities reported that a small boat had attached two limpet mines to a tanker’s hull, igniting a fire in the engine room. The crew was unharmed, the fire was extinguished and the vessel continued to its next port. The incident occurred about 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Khasab.

Maritime risk analysts noted that the use of limpet mines—a low-tech, inexpensive method first seen in the region in 2017—poses a significant security concern for the congested shipping lanes of the strait. The tanker involved in the mine attack was identified by some sources as the Panama-flagged Louise 1, which had previously been targeted by other actors.

The U.S. military had not immediately confirmed the reported destruction of its unmanned vessel in the eastern Strait of Hormuz.