Iran Claims Mines Destroyed Four Oil Tankers Near Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that four oil tankers were destroyed after hitting naval mines in an area south of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has designated as a restricted zone for navigation.

The IRGC reported that two other vessels were seized, and the remaining tankers are still ablaze, though no details on casualties or the cause of the explosions were provided.

According to Vortexa data, crude oil, condensate, and fuel exports from the Middle East dropped to 17.1 million barrels per day (bpd) in October, down from 18.9 million bpd in September.

October data shows Middle East seaborne oil exports have pulled back slightly from recent post-war highs on heightened risks in the Strait of Hormuz, according to George Morris, an analyst at Vortexa.

Crude and condensate flows through the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Oman are estimated, provisionally, to have dropped to 16.1 million bpd in October, from 17.09 million bpd in September.

Tanker-tracking services warn that export figures may rise as more data becomes available, particularly regarding shuttle shipments, which are often not fully accounted for in initial reports.