Fars News Agency said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy targeted 7 oil tankers over 5 days, including two Kuwaiti tankers and 3 tankers linked to the United Arab Emirates, as oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply from the evening of Saturday, October 3, 2026.
Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, reported that the tankers Al Ruwais (AL RUWAIS), Sinbad (SINBAD) and Mersin Prosperity (MERSIN PROSPERITY), owned or chartered by Emirati entities, were on what it described as a “non-compliance” list for transiting the Strait of Hormuz, adding that they had attempted to cross the strait several times over the past two months.
Limited traffic through the strategic waterway
The strait saw limited traffic from Saturday evening, with 6 cargo ships recorded as having transited, while tracking data showed no oil tanker crossings. The tracking covers vessels operating their transponders while underway, while ships that have switched off their signals remain outside the scope of the data.
Details of the three tankers
Data from the MarineTraffic platform shows that Al Ruwais, IMO number (9337951), is a liquefied gas tanker sailing under the flag of the Bahamas. Its last recorded location was in the Gulf of Oman, heading toward Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
Sinbad, IMO number (9413688), is a crude oil tanker sailing under the flag of Liberia. Tracking data showed it stationary off the United Arab Emirates in the anchorage area of Khor Fakkan, having arrived from Fujairah.
The crude oil tanker Mersin Prosperity carries IMO number (9327554), has a capacity of approximately 300,000 tonnes and sails under the flag of Liberia. Records showed it was at anchor, with its last known location in the waters of the Gulf of Oman.
6 incidents and evacuation of Indian seafarers
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations authority documented 6 targeting and attack incidents involving unidentified ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz between September 28 and 29, 2026, and classified the regional threat level in the area as “severe.”
The Indian Embassy in Oman’s capital announced on the evening of October 2 that it had coordinated the safe evacuation of 5 Indian nationals aboard the Kuwaiti-flagged tanker Kazimah III (MT Kazimah III). The embassy said the tanker was struck by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and thanked the Omani authorities for supporting the evacuation operation.
