Explosions Hit Four Oil Tankers and LNG Vessel in Strait of Hormuz Amid Maritime Risk
Iranian state media reported on Thursday that four commercial oil tankers were struck by explosions while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, followed by an additional blast targeting a liquefied natural gas carrier on Friday. According to The Straits Times, citing Reuters, Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy stated that the LNG tanker struck a naval mine while navigating what authorities described as an unauthorized and dangerous route. The four oil tankers had ignored maritime warnings and entered restricted sectors of the strategic shipping corridor, according to The Straits Times World News. Immediate details regarding the flag registrations, cargo ownership, and crew conditions of the targeted vessels were not disclosed by state broadcasters.
Vessels continue to face active strike risks despite a partial rebound in maritime traffic volumes and market expectations of a potential de-escalation in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Those diplomatic expectations had previously exerted downward pressure on global benchmark crude oil prices before the latest series of maritime blasts.
According to tracking data compiled by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, at least 10 commercial ships were struck during the first 10 days of November. Those November incidents followed 37 documented maritime attacks recorded across October, representing the highest monthly tally since hostilities commenced in late February. IMF PortWatch recorded 3 transits through the Strait of Hormuz on November 8, 2026, against a pre-crisis baseline of 85 per day, according to Straits Daily Brief. Insurance expenses for ships traveling through the waterway multiplied by as much as 12 times following the start of hostilities on February 28, 2026, according to Shipping Gazette.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said two supertankers were disabled by explosions on Wednesday after they ignored warnings against using what it called an unauthorised route, and Iran's army later said two other tankers hit mines on Thursday afternoon in the eastern Strait of Hormuz after ignoring warnings and disabling their radar systems, according to NDTV. Reuters could not immediately verify the Iranian account. Earlier in the war, the IRGC Navy announced its attacks on tankers, but more recently it has reported vessels catching fire after hitting naval mines in the southern part of the strait, which it has declared an unauthorised route. In several of those cases, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said vessels had been struck by unknown projectiles. The UKMTO said a vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile about 14 nautical miles northwest of the UAE emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah on Wednesday while exiting the strait, causing a fire in its engine room, and all crew were evacuated.