US Central Command Disputes Iranian Claim About Oil Tanker Incident
On September 15, 2026, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) refuted claims by Iran regarding an oil tanker incident in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had stated that a Panama-flagged tanker, identified as El Gaia, struck a naval mine in the strait. CENTCOM, however, countered this assertion, claiming that the tanker was, in fact, hit by an Iranian drone over the recent weekend. Previously, the vessel had suffered damage from an Iranian missile incident last month that left it non-operational.
“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims a Panama-flagged oil tanker recently struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz. This is FALSE,” CENTCOM declared. “The Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was struck by an Iranian missile last month and rendered inoperable. This weekend, Iran struck the tanker again with a drone while the ship sat in waters off the coast of Oman. The tanker is currently being towed by a regional partner.”
Furthermore, CENTCOM criticized the IRGC, calling the claim a blatant example of their continued deceptive and intimidating tactics aimed at disrupting commercial shipping in the area.
On the previous day, the IRGC’s Navy reported that the El Gaia had indeed struck a mine and was engulfed in flames while navigating through a restricted zone in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, as per the semi-official Mehr News Agency. They also alleged that the strait was under their control, a claim CENTCOM and U.S. officials firmly rejected.
In a related development, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) noted it had received reports of a vessel being hit by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, yet no damage or environmental ramifications had been reported. The connection between this incident and CENTCOM’s prior statements remains unclear.
Reports state that Omani authorities evacuated 23 individuals from the El Gaia, but two crew members are still unaccounted for. Additionally, the BBC pointed out that Iran had made similar claims last month regarding another tanker, the Saudi vessel Sidr, which was asserted to have struck a mine, while Saudi officials countered that the vessel had been targeted by Iran.
