Two Tankers Explode in Hormuz, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Speaks Out
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The situation in the Strait of Hormuz is deteriorating amid reports of two oil tankers exploding, declining shipping traffic and a surge in global oil prices above US$90 per barrel, whilst Kuwait reported that its water desalination facilities had been attacked for a second consecutive day.
According to Reuters, the Kuwaiti government stated on Monday (20/7/2026) that one of its water desalination plants was once again targeted in an attack that triggered a fire. The government described the incident as a direct assault on highly vital civilian infrastructure.
The latest attack came as concerns grow over the smooth flow of global energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions on the strategic shipping route have flared once more after the United States and Iran resumed open confrontation, each accusing the other of repeatedly violating a ceasefire agreement.
At sea, the British maritime monitoring body, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), reported on Sunday evening that it had received information about a vessel on fire not far from the coast of Oman.
However, UKMTO said it had not yet been able to verify the cause of the fire.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Monday that two oil tankers suffered explosions and were unable to continue their voyages after attempting to pass through the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran deems an unsafe route.
The IRGC accused the vessels of using that lane at the urging of the US military.
In its statement, the Revolutionary Guard did not disclose the identity of the ships, their flags of origin, the number of crew, or whether there were any casualties in the incident.
Iran insisted that shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz would remain dangerous for as long as what it calls American “aggression” in the region continues.
“This route will not be safe for the transit of petrochemical products, not even for a single drop of oil and gas,” the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said in a statement.
Data from LSEG shows shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz continues to decline. Only four vessels passed through the strait on Sunday, down from eight the previous day.
Even so, since Friday at least three tankers carrying oil products and one Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) have entered the Strait of Hormuz to load oil.
The rising risk to the global energy distribution route has driven world oil prices sharply higher. Oil prices rose around 2% on Monday to trade above US$90 per barrel.
Amid the escalating conflict, the US military has also reported further casualties.
The US military announced on Sunday that one service member was killed on Saturday in northern Iraq, the site of one of America’s military bases in the region. The casualty died whilst carrying out a controlled detonation of debris from an Iranian attack drone that had previously been shot down.
Earlier, the US military also reported two personnel killed in Jordan, with another declared missing in action.
On Sunday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had found “unidentified remains” at the site of Friday’s attack.
“The process of examining and verifying the identity of those remains is still ongoing,” CENTCOM said.
With the latest casualties reported, the number of American military personnel killed since the war began now stands at 17, whilst more than 420 others have been wounded.