Four tankers destroyed by naval mines in Strait of Hormuz, Iran's IRGC says

What the report says

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said four oil tankers were destroyed after striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to BBC World News. The IRGC claimed the vessels were attempting to use a prohibited southern route through the waterway. The BBC said it could not independently verify the allegation.

The report said two of the tankers were still burning and two others were seized, based on the semi-official Tasnim news agency. It also said the IRGC separately reported that three tankers had been hit by mines earlier in the week and that an MQ-9 drone had been shot down over the strait. The account came amid heightened tension following US military strikes on Iran, which officials in Washington said were a response to earlier Iranian fire on a US aircraft.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important oil shipping lanes, so any disruption there can affect global energy flows and insurance costs. BBC World News reported that Iranian officials framed the incidents as part of a broader confrontation with the United States and Israel, while Tehran’s president and parliamentary speaker publicly warned against further escalation. The situation remained fluid, with no independent confirmation of the damage figures or the circumstances of the reported sinkings.