Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy warned on Saturday, October 17, 2026, that the Strait of Hormuz is "closed" to vessels defying Iranian regulations, as four tankers were reported hit since Friday and oil prices surged to their highest level since May. The IRGC said a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil struck a naval mine during an "unauthorised" crossing with its tracking systems off. Brent crude pushed toward $110 a barrel as markets braced for a supply shock through the waterway that handles roughly one-fifth of the world's oil consumption.
What the IRGC said
The IRGC Navy said in a statement carried by its official outlet, Sepah News, that the tanker attempted the passage "within the preceding hours" after deactivating its GPS and radar systems to evade detection, allegedly with direct US military support. The ship's identity has not been independently verified.
"The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and the consequence of defying Iranian regulations in the Strait of Hormuz is burning in the fire of trust in the terrorist US army," the IRGC said.
IRGC Navy Commander Ali Azmaei told state-run IRIB TV that Iranian forces controlled the Persian Gulf and the strait "round the clock," warning that vessels switching off navigation systems could be treated as hostile.
The four attacks
- Mine strike, Strait of Hormuz (Saturday): the IRGC claimed a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil struck a sea mine and caught fire.
- Unknown projectile, 68 nautical miles northeast of Saudi Arabia's Jubail (Friday): the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a tanker was hit and its crew safely evacuated. Maritime security firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the Marshall Islands-flagged Safeen Principal, reporting an engine-room fire.
- Rocket-propelled grenade, 78 nautical miles northeast of Jubail (Friday): UKMTO said a tanker was hit by an RPG fired from a small boat, damaging its aft port quarter; the crew was safe.
- Gunfire off Yemen, 140 nautical miles southeast of Al Mukalla (Saturday): a small boat with seven people fired two shots at an LNG tanker, UKMTO said; the ship's armed security team fired two warning shots and the boat changed course.
US Central Command disputed the IRGC's account of a separate Wednesday sinking, saying Iran sank the Singapore-registered container ship GFS Pride, whose crew was safely evacuated. The International Maritime Organization said the week's attacks left three seafarers injured and two missing.
Markets react: oil pushes toward $110
Brent crude futures rose 3.7 percent to settle at $109.86 a barrel on Friday after touching $110 for the first time since May, while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained 3.5 percent to close at $101.41. WTI rose more than 10 percent over the week; Brent nearly 5 percent. Energy research firm Kpler said shipments through the strait stood at 9.4 million barrels a day, about 70 percent of the pre-war average. Goldman Sachs warned prices could reach $120 if shipping disruptions worsen.
Wider fallout: Saudi Arabia and the Houthis
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group fired missiles toward Saudi Arabia this week. The kingdom said on Friday it intercepted missiles over the Red Sea, including one believed headed for the Yanbu oil export terminal, and that coalition forces intercepted four drones over the Riyadh, Eastern and Southern provinces. The Houthis struck Riyadh's international airport on October 10, killing 12 people and injuring more than 300. President Donald Trump said the United States would continue its blockade on Iranian maritime traffic through the strait while negotiations continued.
The takeaway: with the IRGC declaring the strait closed and shipping at a fraction of pre-war levels, the world's most critical oil chokepoint is now the front line of an economic and military standoff that will set global oil prices in the weeks ahead.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources
- Al Jazeera live blog: IRGC warns Hormuz Strait "closed" as 4 tankers reported hit
- Arab News/Reuters: Tanker struck by unknown projectile off Saudi Arabia's Jubail, UKMTO says
- Times Now: Oil prices surge as Hormuz attacks and Houthi strikes escalate
- Gulf News: Oil tanker on fire after hitting mine in Hormuz, Iran says