October 10, 2026
On Thursday, the Iranian Fars Agency reported that strong explosions occurred in the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz as a result of oil tankers colliding with mines, without the agency specifying the number of damaged ships or the extent of the damage resulting from the accident. The agency quoted its sources as saying that the explosions targeted tankers that it described as “violators,” a term used by Tehran to refer to ships that attempt to cross the strait without prior permission.
This development comes in conjunction with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s announcement that the Strait of Hormuz constitutes a “strategic red line,” stressing its categorical rejection of the presence of any forces from outside the region or their practice of interference and threat. The Revolutionary Guard stressed that any threat emanating from the “American-Zionist camp” will be met with complete vigilance and comprehensive preparedness.
In the same context, the advisor to the Commander of the Revolutionary Guard, Mohammad Reza Naghdi, had previously announced Tehran’s intention to close “illegal” navigation routes that it had not coordinated with. Revolutionary Guard spokesman Hussein Mohebi also stated on September 30 that the military operations aim to obstruct the passage of small ships, stressing that the continued flow of oil shipments does not mean that the strait is open without restrictions.
On the other hand, the US Central Command (“Centcom”) denied the validity of the Iranian claims regarding closing the Strait of Hormuz and imposing full control over it, stressing that maritime traffic continues normally through the sensitive waterway. For his part, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the volume of oil supplies through the Strait has almost returned to the levels it was before the outbreak of the conflict between the United States and Iran.
