IRGC Targets Oil Tankers in Strait of Hormuz as Iran War Disrupts Global Oil Supply

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard strikes multiple vessels including US, British and Israeli-linked tankers, declares maritime blockade, and warns “not a single liter of oil” will pass for America and its allies as oil prices surge past $113 per barrel.

By [HARRIS KHAN], Senior Correspondent for Geopolitical and Defence Affairs, Dusk News

Published: March 12, 2026

IRGC attacks oil tankers in Strait of Hormuz including US, British and Israeli vessels. Iran declares maritime blockade, oil prices surge past $113 as global energy crisis deepens.

URL: https://dusk.com.pk/irgc-attacks-oil-tankers-strait-of-hormuz-iran-war

TEHRAN / DUBAI: The Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical energy artery, has become a war zone. Since February 28, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has launched a sustained campaign of attacks on oil tankers and commercial vessels, targeting ships linked to the United States, Britain, and Israel in a dramatic escalation of the Gulf War .

The IRGC has declared the strait effectively closed to vessels belonging to “hostile states” and warned that any ship attempting to transit without permission faces attack . The result: global oil prices have surged past $113 per barrel, traffic through the chokepoint has plummeted from 76 tankers daily to near zero on some days, and the international maritime industry is confronting its gravest crisis in decades .

What began as retaliation for the US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has evolved into a full-blown maritime campaign designed to weaponize the world’s oil supply—and the IRGC is showing no signs of backing down.

The Attacks: A Chronology of Maritime Warfare
The IRGC’s campaign against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has been relentless and multi-pronged, employing missiles, drones, and naval forces against commercial vessels.

March 1: Three US and British Tankers Struck
On the first day of March, the IRGC announced it had successfully struck three oil tankers belonging to the United States and Britain in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz . According to the IRGC’s official Sepah News outlet, the vessels were hit by missiles and caught fire . The attacks were part of what Iran called Operation “True Promise 4,” launched in response to the US-Israeli strikes on February 28 .

The IRGC also claimed to have targeted the US naval base in Bahrain with four drones and destroyed three US Navy facilities in Kuwait . Following these attacks, the IRGC announced the formal closure of the Strait of Hormuz .

March 4-5: Tanker Attack and Environmental Disaster Feared
On March 4, Iranian forces attacked an oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the vessel’s captain heard and saw a “powerful explosion on the port side” before a small boat sped away from the area . Critically, oil was observed leaking from a cargo tank into the sea, raising fears of a significant environmental disaster .

The incident occurred approximately 30 nautical miles off the coast of Mubarak Al-Kabeer, Kuwait . Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB confirmed that the IRGC was responsible for the attack . This followed a separate attack on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz the previous day .

March 6-7: The ‘Prima’ Strike
On March 6, the IRGC used a drone to strike the oil tanker “Prima” after it allegedly ignored repeated warnings about the prohibition of movement through the Strait of Hormuz . Iranian officials described the vessel as “violating” the blockade .

The UKMTO separately reported a drone strike on an unnamed vessel approximately 10 nautical miles north of Jubail, Saudi Arabia, at roughly the same time. The majority of the crew was safely evacuated, though a small number remained onboard .

March 11: Israeli-Linked Vessels Targeted
In the most recent wave of attacks, the IRGC struck two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz after they repeatedly ignored warnings . The vessels were identified as:

Express Room: Owned by what Iran termed the “Zionist regime” and sailing under a Liberian flag

Mayuree Naree: A container ship targeted following its “illegal insistence” on transiting the waterway without authorization

Iran has declared that every vessel intending to pass through the strait must now obtain permission from Iranian authorities .

Iran’s Strategy: Weaponizing the World’s Oil
The IRGC’s maritime campaign is not random violence—it is a calculated strategic doctrine. A spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters delivered an unambiguous message to Washington and its allies:

“We will not allow even a single liter of oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz for the benefit of America and its friends.”

The spokesman further expanded the scope of Iranian military operations, declaring that “any vessel, itself or its oil cargo belonging to the United States, the Zionist regime, or their hostile partners, is a legitimate target for Iran’s Armed Forces” .

This doctrine represents a fundamental shift. Iran is explicitly targeting commercial shipping based on the nationality of the vessel or its cargo, effectively extending the battlefield to global trade .

Iranian officials maintain that these actions are legitimate defensive measures in response to unprovoked aggression. The Foreign Ministry has blamed the United States for disruptions in the strait, stating that “the insecure situation and problems arising for shipping in the Persian Gulf are a result of the aggressive and destabilizing actions of the US” .

Global Impact: Oil Prices Surge, Shipping Paralysis
The strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz cannot be overstated. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s total oil supply transits this narrow chokepoint daily . Before the crisis, an average of 76 tankers passed through each day .

Today, that traffic has collapsed:

Plummeting transits: Daily tanker movements have dropped to just a handful, with some days seeing zero crossings

Price surge: Global oil prices have skyrocketed past $113 per barrel

Insurance nightmare: War risk insurance is available but “exceptionally expensive,” though some owners are willing to risk transit given high day rates

Covert operations: A small number of tankers continue to transit with transponders off, making the waterway appear empty on AIS tracking systems

The US Maritime Administration has advised vessels to “keep clear” of the strait given the hazard . Other industry bodies recommend thorough risk assessments and appropriate precautions .

The Human Toll: Seafarers at Risk
Beyond the geopolitical and economic dimensions, the attacks have claimed human lives. Eight seafarers aboard a rescue tug may have lost their lives in one incident, though the outcome has not been officially confirmed .

In another attack, the majority of a tanker’s crew was evacuated, leaving only a small number of personnel onboard . The psychological toll on merchant mariners—civilians caught in the crossfire of a major power conflict—is immeasurable.

The UKMTO has warned of environmental risks following signs of oil leaks into the sea . An oil spill in these waters could devastate marine ecosystems and coastal communities across the Gulf.

Military Capabilities: Iran’s Anti-Ship Arsenal
Military experts note that Iran possesses one of the region’s most advanced anti-ship missile arsenals . Key systems include:

Abu Mahdi cruise missile: Range exceeding 1,000 kilometers

Nasir short-range missile: For precision strikes

Zulfaqar and Qiam ballistic missiles: Adapted for naval targeting

This arsenal gives Iran the ability to threaten shipping throughout the Gulf and beyond, making any US effort to forcibly reopen the strait extraordinarily dangerous.

US Response: Threats and Capability Questions
The United States has threatened military action to reopen the waterway, but analysts are raising serious questions about Washington’s capability to carry out that threat . An Economist analysis warned that “escorting convoys of oil tankers with warships may give Iran juicy American targets” .

The Pentagon has reportedly struck Iranian minelaying vessels in previous operations, and President Donald Trump has warned that any Iranian mining of the strait would invite retaliation “at a level never seen before.” However, clearing the strait and maintaining safe passage against Iran’s multi-layered anti-ship capabilities would require a massive, sustained naval commitment—one that would expose US forces to significant risk.

What to Watch in the Coming Days
Escalation Cycle: Will Iran expand its targeting criteria to include vessels from other nations supporting the US-Israeli campaign?

US Response: Can Washington assemble a coalition capable of securing the strait, or will it resort to unilateral strikes on Iranian launch sites?

Insurance Collapse: If major insurers withdraw coverage for Gulf transits, commercial shipping may cease entirely regardless of military operations.

Environmental Disaster: With multiple vessels damaged and oil leaking, the region faces the prospect of a catastrophic spill.

Global Recession Risk: Sustained oil prices above $100 per barrel threaten to trigger a worldwide economic downturn.

The Bottom Line
The IRGC’s attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz have transformed the Iran war from a regional conflict into a global economic crisis. By weaponizing the world’s most important energy chokepoint, Tehran has demonstrated that it can inflict pain far beyond the battlefield—and that no nation’s economy is immune from the consequences.

With oil prices surging past $113, shipping paralyzed, and the risk of environmental catastrophe growing, the international community faces a stark choice: find a diplomatic off-ramp, or prepare for a prolonged confrontation that could reshape the global order.

The strait is closed. The tankers are burning. And the world is watching.