Algaya Tanker Fire Near Hormuz: Iran Claims a Mine Strike and a Closed Strait, CENTCOM Says Drone
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the tanker struck mines and declared the strait closed. US Central Command called the mine claim false and said Iran hit the ship with a drone off Oman.
- The El Gaia, which the IRGC called the Algaya, caught fire off Oman after an attack on September 13; 13 of 14 Indian crew were rescued.
- The IRGC Navy said at 14:55:42 ET on September 14 that the ship struck mines and that the Strait of Hormuz is closed.
- US Central Command called the mine claim false and said Iran struck the ship with a drone while it sat off Oman.
Reaction by asset (real prices)
| Asset | 2m before | At release | +1m | +10m | +1m % | +10m % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crude oil (indicative) Crude oil, indicative price. Its level can differ from the front-month WTI Crude Oil Future (NYMEX). |
96.96 | 96.96 | 97.17 | 97.17 | +0.22% | +0.22% |
A tanker that Iran's Revolutionary Guards called the Algaya, listed in ship registry data as the El Gaia, caught fire off Oman after an attack on Sunday, September 13, 2026, and on Monday Iran and the US gave conflicting accounts of what hit it. The IRGC Navy's statement that the ship struck mines and that the Strait of Hormuz is closed crossed MoveSurge's tape at 14:55:42 ET; crude rose 0.217% in the next minute and was still 0.217% higher ten minutes later, and WTI futures were up 1.84% on the session at $101.89 at 17:04 ET.
Three accounts of the El Gaia, dated
- Sunday, September 13: the Panama-flagged El Gaia, with 14 Indian crew members aboard, caught fire off Oman after it was attacked. Thirteen crew members were rescued and one was missing, and India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack, The Week reported.
- Monday, 14:55:42 ET: the IRGC Navy said, in a statement carried by Tasnim, that the tanker it called the Algaya struck mines while using what it called an illegal route south of the Strait of Hormuz and was engulfed in flames. It said the strait is closed and under its control, APA reported.
- 14:59:27 ET: Fars reported that the tanker exploded after colliding with mines and caught fire, The Jerusalem Post reported.
- Later on Monday: US Central Command called the mine claim false. It said Iran had struck the El Gaia with a missile last month and again with a drone this weekend while the ship sat off Oman, and that a regional partner is towing it.
What the El Gaia is
Ship registry data cited by APA lists the El Gaia as a Panama-flagged oil tanker 180 meters long with a deadweight of about 48,000 tons, well below the size of the very large crude carriers the industry calls supertankers.
What the tanker claim did to oil, the dollar and stocks, measured
Reaction moves are measured on MoveSurge's reference prices just before each headline crossed. The tape carried no Brent or gold measurement for these rows.
| Time (ET) | Headline | Instrument | 1 minute | 10 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:55:42 | IRGC Navy via Tasnim: tanker hit mines, strait closed | Crude oil | +0.217% | +0.217% |
| 14:55:42 | Same statement | Nasdaq 100 futures | +0.005% | -0.081% |
| 14:55:42 | Same statement | Dow futures | +0.006% | -0.061% |
| 14:56:52 | IRGC Navy statement via IRNA | USD/JPY | +0.006% | +0.001% |
| 14:56:52 | Same statement | EUR/USD | -0.009% | +0.003% |
| 14:59:27 | Fars: tanker exploded after colliding with mines | Crude oil | +0.021% | -0.062% |
The IRGC statement was followed by a 0.217% rise in crude that held for ten minutes. The Fars report 3 minutes 45 seconds later moved crude 0.021% higher in a minute and left it 0.062% lower after ten. The dollar moved 0.006% against the yen in the minute after the IRNA version of the statement.
Session change at 17:04 ET against the previous close.
| Instrument | Last | Session change |
|---|---|---|
| WTI crude futures | $101.89 | +1.84% |
| Brent crude futures | $106.20 | +1.52% |
| Gold futures | $4,338.20 | -1.60% |
| USD/JPY | 154.30 | +0.49% |
| S&P 500 | 7,619.98 | -0.48% |
Session figures are futures, currency and index quotes; the reaction figures above are measured on MoveSurge's reference prices, and the two sets of levels are not directly comparable. The day's larger oil story was the shutdown of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, covered with its own measured headline table on why oil is up today.
Is the Strait of Hormuz closed?
The IRGC declaration came 2 hours 29 minutes after President Trump posted at 12:25:46 ET that oil is flowing through the Hormuz Strait. The Washington Post reported that ship-tracking data shows far fewer vessels crossing than the roughly 30 a night Trump has described. Earlier measured coverage: the Strait of Hormuz headline ledger.
What happened to the Algaya tanker in the Strait of Hormuz?
The tanker, listed in registry data as the El Gaia, caught fire off Oman after an attack on Sunday, September 13, 2026. On Monday the IRGC Navy said it struck mines in a restricted area south of the strait, and US Central Command called that claim false and said Iran hit the ship with a drone.
Is the Strait of Hormuz closed?
The IRGC Navy said on September 14, 2026 that the strait is closed and under its control. President Trump posted the same day that oil is flowing through it, and The Washington Post reported that ship-tracking data shows far fewer crossings than he has described.
How did oil react to the tanker mine claim?
Crude rose 0.217% in the minute after the IRGC statement crossed at 14:55:42 ET and was still 0.217% higher ten minutes later. WTI futures were up 1.84% on the session at $101.89 at 17:04 ET.
Was anyone hurt on the El Gaia?
Thirteen of its 14 Indian crew members were rescued and one was missing, The Week reported on September 13.
Sources
-
MEA condemns attack on Indian-crewed tanker 'El Gaia' off Oman coast: 13 rescued after fire breaks out; 1 missing
— The Week
The Indian-crewed tanker El Gaia caught fire off Oman after an attack; 13 of 14 crew were rescued and one was missing; India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack.
-
IRGC says tanker hit sea mine near Hormuz, engulfed in flames
— APA
The IRGC Navy said the tanker struck a naval mine while passing through what it called a restricted area south of the Strait of Hormuz, causing an explosion and a fire that engulfed the vessel; registry data lists the Panama-flagged EL GAIA as a 180-meter tanker of about 48,000 deadweight tons.
-
Oil tanker exploded after colliding with mines in Hormuz, Iran's Fars reports
— The Jerusalem Post
Iran's Fars reported that an oil tanker exploded after colliding with mines in the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire.
-
U.S. Military Rejects Iranian Mine Claim, Says Stricken Tanker Was Hit By Drone Off Oman
— The Tampa Free Press
US Central Command called the IRGC claim that the El Gaia struck a naval mine false, saying Iran struck the tanker with a missile last month and with a drone this weekend while it sat off Oman, and that a regional partner is towing it.
-
Iran's IRGC falsely claims tanker struck naval mine, CENTCOM says
— Crypto Briefing
CENTCOM said the IRGC Navy's claim that the El Gaia struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz is false.
-
Trump says Strait of Hormuz is open, but how much oil is really going through?
— The Washington Post
Trump said the strait is open and described the US Navy helping about 30 ships a night through it; ship-tracking data shows far fewer vessels crossing.
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