Tehran, September 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said an oil tanker exploded and caught fire after striking naval mines while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz through what it described as a “forbidden” route south of the strategic waterway.
In a statement published by the IRGC’s official news outlet Sepah News, the force said efforts to contain the fire on the super tanker, identified as EL GAIA, were unsuccessful and the vessel was eventually engulfed in flames.
The IRGC said warnings had previously been issued about the dangers of using the “illegal” route, reiterating that the Strait of Hormuz remained closed and under the control of Iranian naval forces.
Earlier on Monday, Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), which oversees maritime traffic in the waterway, warned insurance companies, protection and indemnity (P&I) clubs and classification societies against providing services to vessels included on its updated list of “violating” ships, according to Xinhua News Agency.
The PGSA said the organisations should refrain from providing services to the listed vessels to avoid consequences arising from dealing with them.
The IRGC has also reported other incidents involving maritime activity in the waterway. Earlier this month, it said its naval forces had targeted a US unmanned surface vehicle (USV) near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the IRGC, the Saildrone Explorer-type USV was on an “aggressive mission” when it was struck. The force said similar USVs had previously been used in the region by the US Fifth Fleet and Task Force 59, headquartered in Bahrain.
The IRGC again warned that the strategic waterway remained closed and under its control, saying hostile activity in the area would be targeted.
The developments come amid heightened tensions following US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Tehran subsequently restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while US forces imposed a naval blockade targeting vessels travelling to or from Iranian ports.
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