Four oil tankers were hit by explosions in the Strait of Hormuz on November 12, 2026. At least 10 ships were hit in the strait in the first 10 days of November 2026. October 2026 saw 37 attacks on vessels, the highest monthly tally since the US-Iran conflict began in late February 2026. UK Maritime Trade Operations reported projectile strikes, contradicting Iran's naval mine account.
Strait of Hormuz tanker attacks
- ▪The US-Israeli war with Iran began in February 2026
- ▪Two supertankers were disabled by explosions
- ▪Four oil tankers were hit by explosions in the Strait of Hormuz on November 12, 2026, according to Iran's military
- ▪Two additional tankers caught fire on November 12, 2026, after sailing through the eastern Strait of Hormuz while allegedly disabling their radar systems and entering a restricted area
Iran naval mine claims
- ▪Iran has declared the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz an unauthorised route and has reported vessels catching fire after hitting naval mines in that area
- ▪Iran's army stated that two tankers hit mines on November 12, 2026, while sailing through the eastern Strait of Hormuz after ignoring warnings
- ▪The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency has said in several cases that vessels in the Strait of Hormuz were struck by unknown projectiles, contradicting Iran's naval mine account
- ▪Iranian state media reported that two supertankers exploded after hitting naval mines on November 11, 2026, broadcasting what it said was video footage of the incidents
UKMTO incident reports
- ▪All crew members were evacuated from the vessel struck near Ras Al-Khaimah on November 11, 2026, and firefighting efforts were under way
- ▪The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile
Escalating attack frequency
- ▪At least 10 ships were hit in the Strait of Hormuz in the first 10 days of November 2026, according to data from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
- ▪Oil prices fell in November 2026 amid expectations of de-escalation in the war between the United States and Iran
- ▪There were 37 attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in October 2026, the highest monthly tally since the US-Iran conflict began in late February 2026, according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Perspective of Iran's military
- ▪Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy stated the supertankers were disabled after ignoring official warnings against using an unauthorised route through the Strait of Hormuz
- ▪Iranian state media broadcast video footage it said showed supertankers exploding after hitting naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz
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