Strait of Hormuz: Contradictory Accounts After Incidents Involving Oil Tankers
The situation remains confused in the Strait of Hormuz, where reports say oil tankers were hit by projectiles or mines. The US military disputed Iran’s account of one incident, while a misleading video circulated on social media.
Incidents involving oil tankers are fuelling tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Benin Web TV reports that two oil tankers were hit by projectiles of unidentified origin, amid deteriorating relations between Washington and Tehran since the start of their war in February 2026.
Iran put forward another account concerning an oil tanker that allegedly encountered mines while attempting to cross the strait. This claim was denied by the US military on Monday, 31 August 2026, according to RFI.
A sequence marked by disinformation
On the same day, a video presented on social media as proof of an explosive device detonating at sea circulated online. RFI said it was in fact footage of a nuclear test, used misleadingly. The lack of reliable visual evidence is helping sustain conflicting accounts of the events at sea.
Iranian capabilities at the centre of US accusations
The United States carried out strikes on the Iranian island of Larak on Sunday. According to France 24, Washington justified them by saying it sought to destroy new capabilities that could have been used to mine the Strait of Hormuz.
The possibility that Iran adapted rocket launchers to deploy naval mines in this strategic passage has been raised. Such a method would be unprecedented, though not technically impossible, but some experts cited by France 24 remain sceptical. The precise circumstances of the reported incidents in the strait therefore remain disputed.
Join the conversation
Reader comments are shown in their original language.