LNG Tanker Hits Mine in Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Guards Say

A tanker carrying liquefied natural gas struck a naval mine and suffered an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy, which said the vessel had been using what it described as an "unauthorized and dangerous route." State media carried the report on November 13, and no details on the tanker's identity, flag or cargo volume were immediately available.

The incident is the latest in a string of explosions to hit commercial shipping in the waterway that carries roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil. Iranian media reported on Thursday that four oil tankers had been hit by explosions in the strait, adding that the vessels had ignored warnings and entered what Iran considers restricted areas of the strategic channel.

How intense has the attack campaign become?

The numbers point to a sustained escalation rather than a spike. At least 10 ships were hit in the first 10 days of November alone, according to data from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. That follows 37 attacks in October — the highest monthly tally since the conflict began in late February, the same dataset shows.

Put differently, ships are now being struck at a rate of roughly one per day, and the campaign shows no clear sign of abating even as broader war expectations shift.

What does this mean for commercial traffic?

The attacks continue despite a rebound in tanker traffic through the strait and widespread expectations of a de-escalation in the US-Israeli war on Iran — expectations that falling oil prices have already priced in. That divergence creates a difficult planning environment for shipowners, charterers and cargo interests alike.

For LNG and petroleum shippers, the mine risk adds a physical hazard on top of the war-risk premium question: a vessel transiting Hormuz now faces not only the threat of targeted attack but of drifting or moored mines along routes Iran deems off-limits. Iran's framing — that struck vessels had entered "restricted areas" and ignored warnings — effectively shifts responsibility onto operators and raises the stakes of route selection through the chokepoint.

The lack of detail on the LNG tanker involved leaves open questions about damage severity, crew safety and whether the cargo itself was compromised. Each previous incident has gone unaccompanied by claims from the operators' side in the immediate aftermath, leaving Iranian accounts as the primary source of information for the market.

For forwarders and cargo owners with Gulf-origin energy flows, the calculus is straightforward: the strait remains open and traffic has recovered, but the per-transit risk profile has deteriorated measurably since late February. October's 37 attacks mark the conflict's peak so far, and the first third of November suggests November could match or exceed that pace if the current rate holds.

What comes next?

The trajectory now hinges on whether the anticipated de-escalation in the wider conflict translates into an actual reduction in attacks on merchant shipping — something the first 10 days of November, with at least 10 ships struck, have so far failed to show.