DUBAI, November 8 (Aalimi Nation) – Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday that three oil tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, describing the vessels as ships that had not complied with its authorisation rules. The claim has not been independently confirmed.
In a statement, the Guards said the three tankers were sailing in what it called an "illegal channel" in the strait when they were hit by explosions and severe fires. It described the ships as "rogue" vessels travelling an "unauthorised route". The statement did not name the tankers or say which countries they were registered in, and it gave no details of any crew casualties.
It was not immediately clear whether the Guards' account referred to the same incidents as other recent reports from the waterway. No shipowner, flag state or US official had commented on the Guards' claim at the time of writing.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker caught fire on Saturday off Khasab in Oman and that its crew was evacuated. It added that another tanker was reportedly hit by an "unknown projectile" on the same day. The agency did not link either incident to the Guards' statement.
Separately, state media in the United Arab Emirates said 22 people were rescued from a burning vessel in the Gulf of Oman and were in stable condition. No deaths were mentioned in the reports reviewed. It was not stated whether this vessel was one of the three tankers named by the Guards.
Iran has sharply restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began in late February, requiring ships to use routes it has authorised. Before the conflict, roughly a fifth of the world's oil supplies passed through the strait.
The United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and has helped tankers transit the strait. US Central Command said it had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through Hormuz since the summer and that all mines had been cleared. The Guards, for their part, have previously warned that vessels using routes outside Iran's authorisation or cooperating with the US military could face similar incidents.
Iranian state media reported the sound of explosions in Qeshm, Sirik, Jask and Bandar Abbas on Sunday, and officials confirmed an "impact" in Jask. The reports did not say what caused the blasts, and there was no immediate Iranian or US account of who carried them out.
The US military also announced a new task force aimed at disrupting Iran's land-based supply routes, a step that came as both sides have continued limited exchanges of fire. President Donald Trump had earlier spoken of resuming heavy strikes but has since stepped back from that language, although occasional limited US strikes have continued.
Key questions remain open: how many ships were actually hit, what struck them, whether anyone was injured, and whether the Guards' account matches the incidents reported by maritime authorities. Oman, the shipping industry and the US government had not given their own accounts of the three fires. Aalimi Nation will update this report as verified details emerge.
