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The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement that four oil tankers were destroyed after striking naval mines in a prohibited route south of the Strait of Hormuz on November 4, 2026. The vessels were still ablaze according to the IRGC, which added that its naval and aerospace forces had stopped two other violating ships in the area. Reuters reported the details from the statement, noting the tankers had attempted to traverse the southern lane despite restrictions. The announcement was also carried by Iranian state media including IRNA.
The IRGC claimed its air defence forces shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the strait at 4:30 a.m. using an advanced system, describing the incident as the downing of the 56th such unmanned aircraft. bne IntelliNews reported that the statement invoked the anniversary of the 1979 US embassy seizure in Tehran. The Guards asserted that their fighters were prepared to deliver a final blow to what they termed the child-killing Zionist regime and aggressor America, according to ABNA English.
This latest incident follows a pattern of similar events, with the IRGC having reported 11 tankers catching fire in the nine days leading up to November 2, several of which sank, bne IntelliNews figures show. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to most commercial shipping soon after the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28, 2026. EIA data places average crude and liquids transits through the strait at 4.9 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026, down sharply from 21.6 million barrels per day in the final quarter of 2025. Daily vessel transits have similarly fallen to around 9 per day from pre-crisis levels above 80, hormuz.now data shows.
The claims have not been independently confirmed, Kurdistan24 reported, with no information released on the tankers’ nationalities, crew status or owners. The development comes one day after US President Donald Trump confirmed American strikes on Iran, including an operation on Qeshm Island, as covered by multiple outlets including IOL. Indirect talks between the US and Iran continue through Qatari mediators, with Tehran linking any reopening of the waterway to the end of a US naval blockade, Anadolu Agency stated.
In the statement, the IRGC described its operations as having inflicted heavy blows on the enemy. The elite corps warned that Iranian forces stood ready for further action amid the ongoing regional tensions that have persisted since the April 2026 ceasefire. A separate report from the World Ports Organization referenced earlier attacks in late October using limpet mines and projectiles on tankers in the vicinity, though it remained unclear if they related directly to the latest claims.
The strategic waterway remains a focal point for global energy security even with reduced traffic, according to industry assessments cited in FXStreet coverage. Oil prices showed mixed movements in response to the news, with West Texas Intermediate futures declining 1.3 percent to $94.55 at one point during trading, the financial news service reported. Monitoring of maritime activity in the area continues as both sides maintain their positions in the dispute.
