Hormuz: Iran says the strait is closed and tankers hit mines; US military says it is open

Iran and the United States are giving incompatible accounts of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian military bodies say it is closed and that tankers have struck mines. US Central Command (CENTCOM) says it is open and that about 97 percent of ships seeking to cross do so without being hit by an Iranian projectile.

What Iran's forces say

The Express Tribune reported that on October 11 the Revolutionary Guard Navy said an oil tanker struck a mine and had an engine-room explosion, calling it the third vessel to hit a mine since October 10. The report relied solely on the Guard statement. It gave differing cargo descriptions, a supertanker of about 2 million barrels in its own account and a shuttle tanker with about 750,000 barrels in the quoted statement.

The Associated Press, in a report carried by Nagaland Post, said the Guard Navy claimed on October 14 that a cargo ship carrying 2,500 containers sank after hitting a mine, which it called the first such sinking Iran had reported in the war. The report said there was no immediate verification and no report from the UKMTO monitor.

IANS reported that on Thursday, Iran's army deputy chief for coordination, Habibollah Sayyari, said the strait is completely closed, and that the army's navy reported another tanker that had turned off its tracking systems catching fire. AFP, in a report carried by Ada Derana, said that on Saturday the Guards claimed two supertankers, each carrying more than two million barrels, caught fire after hitting mines. It said the Guards gave no names, flags, locations or casualty figures, and the report mentioned no independent confirmation.

What the US military says

Fox News Digital reported on October 17, and ANI on October 18, that CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said the strait is open and that about 97 percent of ships seeking to transit passed without being hit by an Iranian projectile. Both reports say the underlying ship counts and method were not provided. Fox reported that CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said about 400 merchant ships crossed in the previous seven days, and that he cited the International Maritime Organization as reporting more than 20 civilian mariners killed in Iranian attacks since February.

CENTCOM confirmed that the Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride was struck by an Iranian projectile on Wednesday and sank while being towed ashore, ANI reported. The ship type and timing resemble the Guard's October 14 sinking claim, but the reports read do not identify them as the same vessel, and they differ on mine versus projectile.

What the record shows

The two sides agree that some ships have been struck and that at least one has sunk. They disagree on whether the strait is open and on the cause and scale of the incidents. ANI cited a UKMTO weekly review of 135 incidents in the strait during the conflict and noted that both sides claim control of the route. The reports read rely on Iranian or US official statements without independent verification.