Two Tankers Explode in Hormuz, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Speaks Out

The IRGC stated on Monday that the two tankers were unable to continue their voyage following the blasts, accusing the vessels of using the route at the instigation of the US military. The IRGC did not disclose the ships’ identities, flags, crew numbers, or whether there were any casualties. Iran warned that shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz would remain dangerous as long as what it termed American ‘aggression’ in the region persists. ‘This route will not be safe for the transit of petrochemical products, not even for a single drop of oil and gas,’ the IRGC said in a statement. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported receiving information about a vessel on fire off the coast of Oman on Sunday evening but said it could not yet verify the cause. Shipping activity through the strait has continued to decline, with LSEG data showing only four vessels transited on Sunday, down from eight the previous day. In a separate development, Kuwait reported that one of its water desalination plants was attacked for a second consecutive day, sparking a fire, in what the government described as a direct assault on vital civilian infrastructure. The heightened risks to energy distribution channels pushed oil prices up by around 2%, trading above US$90 per barrel. The US military also announced additional casualties, with one service member killed in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of debris from a downed Iranian attack drone, bringing the total US death toll since the conflict began to 17, with over 420 wounded.