Truth Battle Over Hormuz Mines: Iran Claims Tanker Hit, U.S. Says 'Fake News'

The United States and Iran are locked in a truth battle over the presence of mines in the Middle East's Strait of Hormuz.

On X (formerly Twitter) on the 31st of last month (local time), the U.S. Central Command stated, "The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims that a supertanker passing through the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz collided with two marine mines and came to a complete halt. This is false."

It went on to point out, "In fact, not a single vessel has collided with a mine in the Strait of Hormuz. This is just another attempt by the IRGC to threaten commercial shipping in the region through false information."

U.S. President Donald Trump also posted on Truth Social, saying, "Iran is officially a failed nation," and adding, "All they have left is fake news coming from America, a willingness to kill protesters that now number over 100,000, and plausible nonsense."

The Central Command's fact-check was intended to counter reports claiming that "a large oil tanker came to a complete stop after colliding with a mine in the Strait of Hormuz" or that "a large oil tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz illegally without Iranian permission suffered a major fire after being struck by two mines."

Such reports originated from Iranian state media citing the IRGC Navy. The IRGC Navy asserted, "Vessels that violate the rules for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will meet this very fate," and "Complying with the regulations on passage and navigation announced by the IRGC Navy is mandatory."

The Iranian media reports that a tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz collided with a mine run counter to President Trump's earlier announcement that all mines in the strait had been cleared.

President Trump announced on the 25th of last month, "I have just received a report from the U.S. Navy that all mines located in international waters of the Strait of Hormuz have been cleared and detonated," adding, "Iran has been notified that any vessel laying new mines will be immediately and systematically destroyed."

Five days later, an anonymous U.S. official told foreign media that the U.S. military had struck two IRGC rocket launchers used for laying mines on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz the previous day, because signs were detected that the IRGC was preparing to fire mine-equipped rockets into the Strait of Hormuz.

The presentation of conflicting facts by the U.S. and Iran over the mine issue in the Strait of Hormuz is interpreted as an effort to gain the upper hand in deadlocked negotiations while each claims control over the strait.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.