Iran Claims Strike on Togo-Flagged Tanker in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said it struck the Togo-flagged oil tanker Trend in the Strait of Hormuz, alleging the vessel attempted an overnight "illegal passage" through the waterway. The claim was distributed by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency and reported by Anadolu Agency. According to the IRGC statement, the tanker was hit and stopped, with a fire breaking out aboard the vessel. Iranian military officials further alleged that the US military had "incited and misled" the tanker before it attempted to transit the strait. There is currently no independent confirmation of the strike, the reported fire, or the tanker's condition, and no details were provided about its cargo, crew, or whether it remains afloat. Iranian authorities reiterated that they consider themselves in control of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route, and warned that they would block vessels deemed hostile. They repeated threats to shipowners and crews that any "illegal passage" through the strait could result in the destruction of the offending vessel. US military officials did not immediately respond to the IRGC's statement. The incident adds to recent tensions around the strait, following separate reports of vessel traffic through Hormuz running below average levels.