Tehran, October 20 — Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement on Tuesday that two oil tankers struck mines laid by the IRGC navy in the southern transit zone of the Strait of Hormuz, setting the vessels on fire and halting their voyages. The IRGC described the tankers as having violated its navigation rules, warned that passing through the mined area is illegal, and said that if what it called US 'mischief' continues, the oil companies involved 'will pay a far higher price.' The statement was carried by Iranian outlets including Tasnim, Tabnak and Fars.

The mine claim itself has not been independently confirmed. The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said there is no substantiation for the IRGC's claim that two laden supertankers hit mines, according to Splash 247 reporting cited by shipping trackers, and UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and other maritime security bodies have not confirmed the reported explosions. UKMTO separately reported an incident about 121 nautical miles (224 km) east of Duqm, Oman, in which military personnel approached a tanker as part of ongoing military activity in the region.

What is not in dispute is that attacks on shipping through the strait have sharply intensified. Ship-tracking firm Kpler counts at least 18 vessels attacked over the past two weeks, and said Gulf crude flows fell to a seven-day average of about 8.5 million barrels a day last week, from more than 20 million barrels a day the week before. (Yaani: oil flows through the Gulf have fallen from over 2 crore barrels a day to about 85 lakh barrels a day.)

Oil markets reacted immediately. Brent crude futures for December delivery traded at $111.67 a barrel, up 1.94% and the highest level since May, while US West Texas Intermediate futures jumped 6.58% to $110.48 a barrel on Tuesday morning, the Seoul Economic Daily reported. The Strait of Hormuz normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil, so sustained disruption pushes up fuel, freight and airfare costs worldwide — and is watched closely in the Gulf states, where lakhs of Indian and Punjabi workers live and work.

Sources: IRGC statement as carried by Tasnim, Tabnak and Fars; Seoul Economic Daily (Yonhap); Kpler data via Reuters; JMIC assessment via Splash 247; UKMTO incident reporting.