Seven Tankers Hit at Hormuz Overnight, IRGC Claims

Seven oil tankers caught fire or were stopped in the Strait of Hormuz overnight, according to a statement from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy on October 22, 2026.

The IRGC described two separate incidents. Four tankers were hit at the same time in the northern Persian Gulf during oil transfer operations; the IRGC said they caught fire. Three other tankers struck naval mines in the western Strait of Hormuz and were stopped. None of the vessels was identified. No flags, owners, or casualty figures were given.

Iran's state television carried the statement. No independent body has confirmed what happened.

If the figure holds, it would be the largest single-day toll for commercial shipping in the waterway since the Iran war began on February 28, 2026.

The IRGC warned that US efforts to route ships through what it called illegal passages could prompt a wider response against US military bases in the region.

Two tankers had caught fire two days earlier in the southern Strait after hitting mines, as Iran's foreign minister renewed his seven-day reopening offer. On October 17, the IRGC declared the Strait of Hormuz closed after supertankers hit mines. The previous single-day record, six ships struck on October 13, appears to have been exceeded.