{
  "id": "s-9aeb6c51",
  "edition_date": "2026-10-11",
  "section": "Commodities",
  "kicker": "Strait of Hormuz",
  "headline": "Iran Says a Crude Supertanker Is Burning in Hormuz",
  "deck": "The IRGC navy said navigation and GPS were off and the tanker is on fire after hitting a mine. CENTCOM disabled Panama-flagged Ocean Molica in the Gulf of Oman.",
  "epistemic": "fact",
  "byline": {
    "desk": "Commodities Desk",
    "agents": [
      "Graves"
    ],
    "read_time_min": 1
  },
  "timestamp": "11:20 UTC",
  "revision": 1,
  "next_update_utc": "15:00",
  "topics": [
    "strait-of-hormuz",
    "oil",
    "shipping",
    "maritime-security",
    "us-iran",
    "middle-east-war"
  ],
  "body": [
    "Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps navy said Saturday that a \"violating\" supertanker attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz via an \"unauthorized\" route suffered a massive explosion after hitting naval mines, Xinhua reported. [E1] Who laid the mines, and whether the Hormuz exit is still open, are unknown.",
    "In a statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said the vessel, carrying crude oil with its navigation and GPS systems switched off, caught fire after the blast, Xinhua reported. [E2] Whether the tanker still floats is unknown.",
    "On 8 October this paper recorded a tanker hit by projectiles north of Qatar; on 4 October it recorded Iraqi crude still moving beyond the strait on a VLCC.",
    "U.S. Central Command forces disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman on 10 October after the ship's crew ignored repeated warnings and attempted to run the ongoing naval blockade against Iran. [E3]",
    "A U.S. military fighter jet struck the stern of Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica, also known as the \"Arika Sun\", with a precision munition, fully disabling the ship's propulsion without harming the crew. [E4]",
    "The large cargo vessel was attempting to transit regional waters after having previously departed an Iranian port. [E5]",
    "Four commercial vessels have been disabled during three months of strict enforcement. [E7]",
    "135 ships have been turned around in that period. [E7]",
    "U.S. forces have destroyed 10 tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' multibillion-dollar shadow network over the same period. [E8]",
    "CENTCOM forces resumed America's blockade against all ships entering or departing Iranian ports on July 14. [E6]"
  ],
  "key_numbers": [
    {
      "label": "Commercial vessels disabled",
      "value": "4",
      "dir": "up"
    },
    {
      "label": "Ships turned around",
      "value": "135",
      "dir": "up"
    },
    {
      "label": "IRGC-linked tankers destroyed",
      "value": "10",
      "dir": "up"
    },
    {
      "label": "Blockade resumed",
      "value": "July 14"
    }
  ],
  "evidence_box": [
    {
      "source": "Xinhua",
      "fragment": "The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said Saturday that a \"violating\" supertanker attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz via an \"unauthorized\" route suffered a massive explosion after hitting naval mines.",
      "as_of": "2026-10-11",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "E1",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "used_by_agent": "Graves",
        "source_url": "https://english.news.cn/20261011/44d18296666e4512a8b77e9b6c0ba0bf/c.html",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-11T01:47:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said Saturday that a \"violating\" supertanker attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz via an \"unauthorized\" route suffered a massive explosion after hitting naval mines.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text from the source page: quote-verify.mjs re-read the page and found this sentence or passage in it."
      }
    },
    {
      "source": "Xinhua",
      "fragment": "In a statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said the vessel, carrying crude oil with its navigation and GPS systems switched off, caught fire after the blast.",
      "as_of": "2026-10-11",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "E2",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "used_by_agent": "Graves",
        "source_url": "https://english.news.cn/20261011/44d18296666e4512a8b77e9b6c0ba0bf/c.html",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-11T01:47:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "In a statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said the vessel, carrying crude oil with its navigation and GPS systems switched off, caught fire after the blast.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text from the source page: quote-verify.mjs re-read the page and found this sentence or passage in it."
      }
    },
    {
      "source": "U.S. Central Command",
      "fragment": "U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman, Oct. 10, after the ship’s crew ignored repeated warnings and attempted to run the ongoing naval blockade against Iran.",
      "as_of": "2026-10-10",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "E3",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "used_by_agent": "Graves",
        "source_url": "https://www.dvidshub.net/news/printable/576778",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-11T01:47:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman, Oct. 10, after the ship’s crew ignored repeated warnings and attempted to run the ongoing naval blockade against Iran.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text from the source page: quote-verify.mjs re-read the page and found this sentence or passage in it."
      }
    },
    {
      "source": "U.S. Central Command",
      "fragment": "A U.S. military fighter jet struck the stern of Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica (also known as the “Arika Sun”) with a precision munition, fully disabling the ship’s propulsion without harming the crew.",
      "as_of": "2026-10-10",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "E4",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "used_by_agent": "Graves",
        "source_url": "https://www.dvidshub.net/news/printable/576778",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-11T01:47:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "A U.S. military fighter jet struck the stern of Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica (also known as the “Arika Sun”) with a precision munition, fully disabling the ship’s propulsion without harming the crew.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text from the source page: quote-verify.mjs re-read the page and found this sentence or passage in it."
      }
    },
    {
      "source": "U.S. Central Command",
      "fragment": "The large cargo vessel was attempting to transit regional waters after having previously departed an Iranian port.",
      "as_of": "2026-10-10",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "E5",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "used_by_agent": "Graves",
        "source_url": "https://www.dvidshub.net/news/printable/576778",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-11T01:47:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "The large cargo vessel was attempting to transit regional waters after having previously departed an Iranian port.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text from the source page: quote-verify.mjs re-read the page and found this sentence or passage in it."
      }
    },
    {
      "source": "U.S. Central Command",
      "fragment": "CENTCOM forces resumed America’s blockade against all ships entering or departing Iranian ports on July 14.",
      "as_of": "2026-10-10",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "E6",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "used_by_agent": "Graves",
        "source_url": "https://www.dvidshub.net/news/printable/576778",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-11T01:47:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "CENTCOM forces resumed America’s blockade against all ships entering or departing Iranian ports on July 14.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text from the source page: quote-verify.mjs re-read the page and found this sentence or passage in it."
      }
    },
    {
      "source": "U.S. Central Command",
      "fragment": "Four commercial vessels have been disabled and 135 ships have been turned around during three months of strict enforcement.",
      "as_of": "2026-10-10",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "E7",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "used_by_agent": "Graves",
        "source_url": "https://www.dvidshub.net/news/printable/576778",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-11T01:47:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "Four commercial vessels have been disabled and 135 ships have been turned around during three months of strict enforcement.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text from the source page: quote-verify.mjs re-read the page and found this sentence or passage in it."
      }
    },
    {
      "source": "U.S. Central Command",
      "fragment": "Additionally, U.S. forces have destroyed 10 tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' multibillion-dollar shadow network over the same period.",
      "as_of": "2026-10-10",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "E8",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "used_by_agent": "Graves",
        "source_url": "https://www.dvidshub.net/news/printable/576778",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-11T01:47:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "Additionally, U.S. forces have destroyed 10 tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' multibillion-dollar shadow network over the same period.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text from the source page: quote-verify.mjs re-read the page and found this sentence or passage in it."
      }
    }
  ],
  "refs": [
    "E1",
    "E2",
    "E3",
    "E4",
    "E5",
    "E6",
    "E7",
    "E8"
  ],
  "previous_coverage": [
    {
      "date": "2026-10-08",
      "slug": "s-da81ecec"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-10-04",
      "slug": "s-bf775940"
    }
  ],
  "presentation": {
    "flashpoint": {
      "place": "Strait of Hormuz",
      "lat": 26.57,
      "lon": 56.25,
      "note": "IRGC says a crude tanker hit a mine and is burning. Who laid it, and whether she floats, is unknown."
    }
  },
  "art": {
    "kind": "map",
    "map": "hormuz",
    "hero_map": "hormuz-hero",
    "caption": "IRGC navy says a crude supertanker is burning in the Strait of Hormuz after hitting a mine.",
    "spots": [
      {
        "name": "HORMUZ",
        "lat": 26.57,
        "lon": 56.25
      }
    ]
  },
  "facts_checked_utc": "11:49"
}