Iran Claims Missile Strikes on 10 Tankers in Hormuz Strait

Iran announced on Sunday that at least 10 vessels came under missile attack in the Strait of Hormuz, as the nation wages war against the United States and Israel.

With Iran reaffirming its commitment to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, major Middle Eastern oil-producing nations including Saudi Arabia are scrambling to secure alternative export routes to minimize disruptions.

Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing Iran's Fars News Agency, that Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy Deputy Commander Mohammad Akbarzadeh said "more than 10 tankers that ignored repeated IRGC Navy warnings that the Strait of Hormuz is unsafe were hit by various missile attacks and caught fire."

Deputy Commander Akbarzadeh claimed that "since Iran announced the navigation ban on the Strait of Hormuz, passage through the strait has become impossible for oil tankers, merchant vessels, and fishing boats," adding that "the Strait of Hormuz is currently under complete control of the IRGC Navy." The IRGC had threatened on Friday that "any vessel attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz will be set ablaze by the Revolutionary Guards and regular navy."

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, is a "global energy artery" through which approximately 20% of the world's seaborne oil shipments pass.

Iran announced it would blockade this strategic chokepoint on April 28, when U.S. and Israeli strikes began. Since then, oil and gas shipments from Middle Eastern producers including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iraq have faced severe disruptions. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, have surged more than 10% this week.

In response to the blockade, the United States has signaled a tough stance, officially raising the possibility of naval escorts for tankers.

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that "if necessary, the U.S. Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible." He also announced plans to provide insurance and guarantees for Gulf energy transport vessels through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

Oil-producing nations are also taking independent action. Reuters reported that Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia's state oil company, is pursuing plans to reroute some crude exports to Yanbu port on the Red Sea coast. Aramco has reportedly instructed some buyers to load shipments from Yanbu.

Saudi Arabia can transport up to 5 million barrels per day to the Red Sea through a pipeline connecting its eastern oil fields to the Red Sea, but Yanbu port's actual loading capacity and security concerns remain key variables.

The pipeline is likely to become a target for Iran or its allied forces. The Red Sea has also seen drone and missile attacks on merchant ships and tankers by Yemen's Houthi rebels, considered a major Iranian proxy, making security difficult to guarantee even on alternative routes.

The UAE is also considering using a pipeline to Fujairah port on the Gulf of Oman coast to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. However, shipping companies are reportedly reluctant to operate amid rising military tensions in the region.