Iran's Revolutionary Guard strikes supertankers in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that two supertankers were hit and disabled after they ignored repeated warnings and attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz via a mined route. The vessels’ navigation systems were shut down, and the ships were rendered out of service. The attack marks a sharp escalation in the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis, which began after Iran blocked the passage in retaliation for air strikes on its nuclear facilities.

In parallel, the IRGC announced the destruction of U.S. fuel depots, ammunition stores, a Patriot air‑defence system in Kuwait, and a command‑and‑control centre in Bahrain, as part of a broader “Operation Nasser 2” response to what it described as American aggression. U.S. President Donald Trump has asserted that the United States will take control of the strait, while Iranian officials warned that cooperation with the United States will bring “repentance, damage and delay” and could trigger a global energy crisis.