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Three Tankers Hit Mines in Strait of Hormuz, Fire

By Drooid · Oct 30, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy said three tankers hit mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
A supertanker carrying over two million barrels exploded near the strait’s entrance on October 30.
Two other tankers turned off radar, ignored warnings and were stopped in southern waters.
UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a fire north of Khasab, Oman, without confirming cause.

Summary

Shipping firms have instituted a shuttle system that turns off transponders in Hormuz and transfers oil in Oman.
Super-tanker hire rates rose from $249,000 per day in early September to over $900,000 per day in early October.
Transportation cost per barrel climbed to roughly $21, compared with $6.50 a barrel in September.
Around 20% of the world’s supertanker fleet is now tied up supporting the Hormuz shuttle operation.

History

In 1987, as the Iran-Iraq war’s “Tanker War” escalated, Iran’s missile and mine attacks on Gulf shipping prompted the United States to launch Operation Earnest Will (24 July 1987–26 Sept 1988), deploying a naval convoy that escorted Kuwaiti tankers under U.S. flag. The 1987 convoy tactics—re-flagging, escorts, and mine countermeasures—now echo in today’s Hormuz shuttle, where vessels silence transponders and a fifth of supertankers pause.

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In 1987, as the Iran-Iraq war’s “Tanker War” escalated, Iran’s missile and mine attacks on Gulf shipping prompted the United States to launch Operation Earnest Will (24 July 1987–26 Sept 1988), deploying a naval convoy that escorted Kuwaiti tankers under U.S. flag. The 1987 convoy tactics—re-flagging, escorts, and mine countermeasures—now echo in today’s Hormuz shuttle, where vessels silence transponders and a fifth of supertankers pause.

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