Oil tanker explodes in the Strait of Hormuz after hitting naval mine

An oil tanker has exploded in the Strait of Hormuz after colliding with a naval mine outside a navigation route designated by Iran, according to state-affiliated reports cited on Sunday. The incident took place in the strategic waterway that links the Gulf to the open ocean and carries a large share of the world's seaborne oil trade. No casualty figures, vessel identity or damage assessment have been confirmed so far.

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Tasnim news agency reported that the tanker had drifted away from the shipping lane specified by Iranian authorities before striking the mine. Mehr news agency, citing an informed source, gave the same account and said the vessel hit a naval mine after deviating from the designated route. The reports did not say when the explosion happened beyond the Sunday publication date, and they did not identify the ship involved.

The lack of confirmed details leaves open questions about the scale of the blast and whether the tanker remained afloat after the explosion. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most sensitive maritime chokepoints, and even limited disruption there can affect shipping confidence and energy markets. Iranian forces have repeatedly warned vessels to follow routes they say are coordinated with military authorities.

The incident comes amid heightened tension between Washington and Tehran, with military operations resuming by both sides in recent weeks. On 26 June, Iran warned that shipping passage through the Strait of Hormuz was "only allowed" through routes designated by its military. On 8 July, US President Donald Trump said a memorandum of understanding signed with Iran the previous month was over, accusing Tehran of violating the agreement.

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The blast also follows a series of warnings and incidents involving tankers in the same waterway. On Thursday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said three oil tankers had tried to use an unauthorised route in the southern part of the strait, and that one struck an explosive device and caught fire while the other two turned back. Iranian forces said vessels that tried to transit without coordination would "suffer the same fate." Separately, the IRGC said it struck and disabled two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on 14 July after the vessels allegedly ignored military warnings, switched off navigation systems and entered a mined corridor outside the designated shipping route.

It is not clear whether Sunday's explosion is linked to those earlier incidents or whether it involved the same corridor. The latest reports do not say whether any official investigation has begun. What remains unclear is the tanker's identity, the extent of the damage and whether there were any injuries.

It is also not known whether the vessel was carrying cargo, where it was headed, or how long the disruption may last. Further confirmation from Iranian authorities or maritime agencies will be needed to establish the full circumstances of the explosion.

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