Euro Times / Stockholm
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Friday that its naval forces had attacked the Togo-flagged oil tanker Trend in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the vessel of attempting to pass through a route Tehran considers unauthorized.
According to the Iranian account, the tanker caught fire and was brought to a halt. The Revolutionary Guards also warned vessels against attempting similar crossings. The Iranian claims could not immediately be independently confirmed.
Maritime incident reported near Oman
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) separately reported a maritime security incident about 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. UKMTO did not, however, confirm that its report concerned the Trend, so the two reports should not yet be treated as independently confirmed descriptions of the same incident.
Traffic through Hormuz remains severely disrupted
The latest incident comes as commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains sharply reduced amid the continuing U.S.-Iran war and heightened risks to shipping.
Data cited by Reuters showed that only four commodity vessels were tracked passing through Hormuz on Thursday, compared with an average of about 16 vessels a day over the previous ten days. Ship-tracking figures may not capture vessels operating with their AIS transponders switched off.
Traffic through Bab el-Mandeb also remained below recent averages, underscoring the pressure on two of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
The reported attack adds to concerns among tanker operators, energy traders and Gulf exporters over the security of vessels attempting to navigate Hormuz while military tensions remain high.
Sources: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps / Iranian state media; UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO); Reuters, September 18, 2026.
