Iran Stops 3 Oil Tankers in Strait of Hormuz as US Strikes Continue
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Thursday that it halted three oil tankers attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, marking a sharp escalation in the strategic waterway as the United States conducted its twelfth consecutive night of military airstrikes against Iranian targets.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Thursday that it halted three oil tankers attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, marking a sharp escalation in the strategic waterway as the United States conducted its twelfth consecutive night of military airstrikes against Iranian targets.
According to a statement released by Iranian state media, one of the three tankers caught fire and sustained heavy damage after striking a sea mine while attempting to traverse a southern transit corridor. The IRGC Navy stated that the remaining two vessels aborted their journey and turned back. Iranian military officials reasserted that the Strait of Hormuz remains under their operational control and warned that uncoordinated maritime traffic would face similar interdictions. US Launches Fresh Strikes on Iran After Donald Trump's Warning Over Strait of Hormuz.
The incident occurs amid an intensifying campaign of U.S. airstrikes designed to degrade Iran’s capabilities to monitor and target commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it carried out additional precision strikes overnight targeting Iranian military assets and defense infrastructure along the coast.
The conflict has expanded across multiple regional maritime choke points. In a parallel development, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on two oil tankers in the Red Sea near the Bab al-Mandab strait, further compounding risks for international commercial shipping.
In Washington, President Donald Trump issued a warning, stating that the U.S. military would target key Iranian civil infrastructure—including power plants and bridges—for every additional commercial vessel attacked in regional waters. Iranian officials responded by warning that any strikes on national infrastructure would invite retaliatory strikes across the broader Middle East. Donald Trump Threatens Strikes on Iranian Infrastructure if Vessels Are Targeted in Strait of Hormuz.
The heightening maritime crisis has sent immediate shockwaves through global energy markets. Brent crude oil prices rose over 2% to pass $96 a barrel on Thursday morning—reaching a six-week high—while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) climbed past $88 a barrel. Energy analysts warn that sustained disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s seaborne petroleum passes, pose a serious risk to global supply stability.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 23, 2026 08:36 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
