TEHRAN (Realist English). On 18 September, the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued an official statement saying that on the evening of 17 September it struck the oil tanker Trend, sailing under the flag of Togo, in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the statement, published on the IRGC’s official news portal Sepah News, the vessel attempted to pass through the strait “illegally” after being “deceived and provoked” by the US military.
As a result of the strike, a fire broke out on board the tanker, after which the vessel was stopped. No data is provided on the condition of the cargo, crew, or possible casualties. No independent confirmation of the incident was available at the time of publication.
Statement by the IRGC Navy Commander
IRGC Navy Commander Brigadier General Ali Ozmaei published a message on social media in which he stated that Iranian forces continue to “firmly control” the Strait of Hormuz and do not allow the passage of “aggressors.”
“On Thursday evening, the violating tanker Trend, flying the flag of Togo, attempted to illegally pass through the Strait of Hormuz under provocation and deception by the child-killing American army. It was struck and stopped after a fire broke out on board,” the statement reads.
The IRGC Navy once again warned that “any illegal passage through the Strait of Hormuz will lead to nothing other than the destruction of the violating vessel.”
Iran’s Control Over the Strait of Hormuz
Iran established de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz on 28 February 2026, after the United States and Israel carried out joint strikes on Iranian territory. Tehran banned the safe passage of vessels owned by or linked to Israel and the United States.
Since the start of the conflict, the IRGC has repeatedly attacked and detained vessels attempting to pass through the strait. Iran requires vessels to obtain permission and pay fees for passage through this strategic waterway. Before the war, about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
In parallel, the United States maintains a naval blockade of Iranian ports, creating a situation of mutual blocking of key maritime routes.
Reaction and Consequences
The Trend tanker incident occurred amid the ongoing US-Iran confrontation in the region. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre also reported on 17 September a “security incident” in the Strait of Hormuz approximately 29.6 km northeast of the Omani town of Khasab, without providing details.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains extremely limited. According to tracking organisations, traffic through the strategic waterway remains significantly below pre-war levels, and risks to shipping remain high.
