Oil tanker EL GAIA explodes after mine collision in Strait of Hormuz
Iranian Revolutionary Guard claims tanker struck mines in a restricted zone.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

© ANSA/EPA
Photograph: ANSA (embedded from source)
What this story says
- An oil tanker exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after colliding with mines, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported.
- The tanker, identified by some outlets as EL GAIA or Algaya, was attempting to cross a prohibited zone in the southern Strait of Hormuz.
- Thirteen crew members were rescued, and one person is still missing, according to the Indian embassy in Oman.
- The IRGC stated that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and under their control.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 18 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 39 of the 57 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
57/100
Hype
41/100
57 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
Only 3 of the 18 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
An oil tanker exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after colliding with mines, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported. The IRGC stated that the tanker was attempting to cross a prohibited or restricted zone in the southern part of the Strait. The IRGC also declared that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and under their control. The Indian embassy in Oman announced that 13 crew members were rescued and one person is still missing. Some reports identified the tanker as EL GAIA or Algaya.
Disagreement on the number of mines
The Sunday Guardian Live reported that the IRGC said the supertanker hit two mines. No other reports specified the number of mines involved.
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated reports covered this story. The centre and right-rated reports did not mention the Indian embassy's announcement that 13 crew members were rescued and one person is still missing.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 5 times, most recently on 14 Sept 2026, 21:30, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.

Oil tanker EL GAIA explodes after mine collision in Strait of Hormuz
cedarnews.net — embedded from source
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
3 rated outlets
- The left-rated outlets reported that an oil tanker struck a mine in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps stated the vessel hit a mine and that the strait remained under their control. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the tanker was struck by an Iranian missile last month and a drone this past weekend.
- In.gr reported that CENTCOM stated the tanker was inoperable and not on fire, contradicting Iranian claims. This outlet also noted that CENTCOM accused Iran of making false claims and attempting to obstruct commercial shipping.
- The left-rated reports included CENTCOM's assertion that Iran had previously struck the tanker with a missile. In.gr also mentioned that the US president stated countries not aiding efforts in the region should compensate the US.
Centre
2 rated outlets
- The centre-rated reports led with the explosion and fire on the oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz after colliding with mines, as reported by the IRGC. These reports stated the tanker was attempting to cross a prohibited zone in the southern Strait of Hormuz. Some identified the tanker as EL GAIA or Algaya. The IRGC's declaration that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and under their control was also noted.
Right
13 rated outlets
- Right-rated reports focused on the IRGC's announcement of the supertanker explosion after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz. These reports included the detail that the tanker was attempting to cross a prohibited zone in the southern part of the Strait. The Sunday Guardian Live reported the IRGC stated the supertanker hit two mines. The IRGC's claim that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and under their control was also mentioned.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Oil tanker EL GAIA explodes after mine collision in Strait of Hormuz?
- Of the 18 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 17% are rated left, 11% are rated centre, 72% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 57. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Oil tanker EL GAIA explodes after mine collision in Strait of Hormuz left or right?
- The story itself is neither. What can be counted is who has covered it, and 72% of the 18 rated outlets on it are rated right — so far this is a story carried mostly by the right. Coverage is still arriving and that can change, which is why the figure is dated rather than fixed.
- Is the coverage of Oil tanker EL GAIA explodes after mine collision in Strait of Hormuz biased?
- Oil tanker EL GAIA explodes after mine collision in Strait of Hormuz is one event reported by 57 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Oil tanker EL GAIA explodes after mine collision in Strait of Hormuz?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Oil tanker EL GAIA explodes after mine collision in Strait of Hormuz?
- 57 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What happened to the oil tanker?
- An oil tanker exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after colliding with mines, according to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The tanker was reportedly attempting to cross a prohibited zone.
- What is the status of the Strait of Hormuz?
- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and under their control. They also warned against crossing the southern corridor.
- Were there any casualties?
- According to the Indian embassy in Oman, 13 crew members were rescued. One person is still reported as missing.
Read it at the source
57 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
3- Tanker Hits Mine, Iran Says, Closing Strait of Hormuz - CENTCOM: Iranians Hit It (opens in.gr in a new tab)
- News About Middle East: Oil Tankers Appear to Explode in the Strait of Hormus (opens Sueddeutsche Zeitung in a new tab)
Sueddeutsche Zeitung — is Sueddeutsche Zeitung biased? Our profile of this outlet
- A Fire Broke Out on an Oil Tanker that Struck a Mine in the Strait of Hormuz. (opens Cumhuriyet in a new tab)
Cumhuriyet — is Cumhuriyet biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
2Right
13- Oil Tanker Exploded in Street of Hormuz (opens Kronen Zeitung in a new tab)
Kronen Zeitung — is Kronen Zeitung biased? Our profile of this outlet
- War in the Middle East: Iran Reports Explosion of Oil Tankers in the Strait of Hormus – US Military Contradicts (opens Welt in a new tab)
- Supertanker explodes after hitting mines in restricted Hormuz route (opens news-pravda.com in a new tab)
news-pravda.com — is news-pravda.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Oil Explosion After Colliding with Mines in Ormuz (opens Reforma in a new tab)
- Tanker in Road From Hormus to Mine Collision in Flames (opens Kurier in a new tab)
- IRGC Reported the Explosion of a Supertanker on Mines in the Strait of Ormuz (opens Interfax.ru in a new tab)
Interfax.ru — is Interfax.ru biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Revolutionary Guard: "Supertanker Collides with Mine in Hormuz... Engulfed in Flames" (opens 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency in a new tab)
연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency — is 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Iran: Information About an Explosion on a Tanker After Hitting Mines in the Strait of Hormuz - iefimerida.gr (opens Iefimerida in a new tab)
Iefimerida — is Iefimerida biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 5 more
- Supertanker "Algaya" Exploded After Hitting a Naval Mine (opens Mehr News Agency in a new tab)
Mehr News Agency — is Mehr News Agency biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Super Tanker El Gaia Exploded on Mines in the Strait of Ormuz (opens vz.ru in a new tab)
- Oil tanker exploded after colliding with mines in Hormuz, Iran's Fars reports (opens Jerusalem Post in a new tab)
Jerusalem Post — is Jerusalem Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- U.S. Military Rejects Iranian Mine Claim, Says Stricken Tanker Was Hit By Drone Off Oman (opens The Free Press (Tampa) in a new tab)
The Free Press (Tampa) — is The Free Press (Tampa) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Tanker on fire, Iranian media claims (opens NewsNation in a new tab)
NewsNation — is NewsNation biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
39- Oil Explosion After Colliding with Mines in Ormuz (opens El Diario in a new tab)
- Iran: Oil Tanker on Fire After the Mine Collision in Hormuz (opens Agi.it in a new tab)
- Iran: Tanker Explodes After Hitting Mines in Hormuz - CENTCOM Denies (opens NewsBomb in a new tab)
- Oil Tanker on Fire in the Strait of Hormuz: Details of the Accident (opens notizie.it in a new tab)
notizie.it — is notizie.it biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Iran Claims that “El Gaia” Superoiler Crashed Into a Mine While Attempting to Cross Ormuz without Authorization (opens El Periodista Online in a new tab)
El Periodista Online — is El Periodista Online biased? Our profile of this outlet
- An Oil Tanker that Struck a Mine in the Strait of Hormuz Caught Fire. (opens ekonomim.com in a new tab)
ekonomim.com — is ekonomim.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Tanker in Road From Hormuz to Mine Collision in Flames (opens vienna.at in a new tab)
- Tragic Incident in the Strait of Hormuz... Supertanker Strikes Mine. (opens Akşam in a new tab)
Show 31 more
- Revolutionary Guards: A Tanker Struck a Mine While Trying to Pass Through the Strait of Hormuz. (opens anlatilaninotesi.com.tr in a new tab)
anlatilaninotesi.com.tr — is anlatilaninotesi.com.tr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- IRGC says oil tanker hit mine, exploded in Hormuz (opens BizToc in a new tab)
- Revolutionary Guards Issue Statement! Oil Tanker Catches Fire in the Strait of Hormuz. (opens Aydınlık in a new tab)
- Tanker in Road From Hormuz to Mine Collision in Flames (opens kleinezeitung.at in a new tab)
kleinezeitung.at — is kleinezeitung.at biased? Our profile of this outlet
- A Fire Broke Out on an Oil Tanker that Struck a Mine in the Strait of Hormuz. (opens Haberler in a new tab)
- Drama in the Strait of Hormuz: A Giant Tanker Exploded After Being Hit by Naval Mines (opens JDN - חדשות in a new tab)
JDN - חדשות — is JDN - חדשות biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Tanker Explodes After Alleged Collision with a Mine in the Strait of Ormuz (opens DiarioBitcoin in a new tab)
DiarioBitcoin — is DiarioBitcoin biased? Our profile of this outlet
- IRGC Reported the Bombing of the El Gaia Tanker on Mines in the Strait of Ormuz (opens Life.ru in a new tab)
- Iran Conflict: Oil Tanker Explodes in the Strait of Hormus (opens Blick in a new tab)
- An Oil Tanker Exploded After Collision with a Mine in the Strait of Hormuz. (opens L'Unione Sarda.it in a new tab)
L'Unione Sarda.it — is L'Unione Sarda.it biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Oil Tanker Hits Naval Mine in Strait of Hormuz, Explosion Occurs (opens Apa in a new tab)
- Iran: the EL GAIA Supertank Exploded on a Mine in the Strait of Ormuz (opens NEWSru.co.il in a new tab)
NEWSru.co.il — is NEWSru.co.il biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Oil Tanker Explodes in the Strait of Hormuz After Hitting Mines (opens Agenpress in a new tab)
- The Supertanker "Algaya" Exploded After Hitting a Naval Mine. (opens inn.ir in a new tab)
- Tanker in the Road From Hormus to Mine Collision in Flames (opens nachrichten.at in a new tab)
nachrichten.at — is nachrichten.at biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Agency: Oil Tanker Explosion After Impacting Mines in the Strait of Hormuz (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: IRGC Says Supertanker Hit 2 Mines in Strait of Hormuz, Warns ‘Compliance With Regulations Is Mandatory’ as Saudi Arabia Lifts Emergency Alert in Najran (opens The Sunday Guardian Live in a new tab)
The Sunday Guardian Live — is The Sunday Guardian Live biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Iran, Oil Tanker on Fire After a Mine Strike in Hormuz (opens italpress.com in a new tab)
italpress.com — is italpress.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The Revolutionary Guard: The Strait of Hormuz Is Closed and Under Our Control! (opens IMLebanon in a new tab)
- The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Stated that the Strait of Hormuz Is Under Smart Control. (opens BITRSS in a new tab)
- Iran Makes Dramatic Announcement: "Oil Tanker Exploded on Mines in the Strait of Hormuz" (opens kikar.co.il in a new tab)
kikar.co.il — is kikar.co.il biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Revolutionary Guards: an Oil Tanker Explosion South of Hormuz (opens Beirut 24 in a new tab)
- Oil tanker explodes after mine collision in Strait of Hormuz: Iran's Fars (opens Crypto Briefing in a new tab)
Crypto Briefing — is Crypto Briefing biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Oil tanker explodes after mine collision in Strait of Hormuz: Iran’s Fars (opens Cryptocurrency News in a new tab)
Cryptocurrency News — is Cryptocurrency News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Report: Oil Tanker Explodes in Strait of Hormus (opens ORF.at News in a new tab)
ORF.at News — is ORF.at News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Tanker Exploded in Mines While Trying to Cross the Strait of Ormuz (opens 1prime.ru in a new tab)
- Catastrophe at Sea: Oil Tanker Erupts in Flames in Strait of Hormuz (opens Devdiscourse in a new tab)
Devdiscourse — is Devdiscourse biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Supertanker "Algaya" Hits Sea Mines (opens tabnak.ir in a new tab)
- Oil tanker explodes after hitting mine in Hormuz (opens Egyptian Gazette in a new tab)
Egyptian Gazette — is Egyptian Gazette biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Tanker Explodes After Hitting Mines in Strait of Hormuz (opens Capital.gr in a new tab)
Capital.gr — is Capital.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Supertanker "Algaya" Hits Sea Mines (opens defapress.ir in a new tab)
defapress.ir — is defapress.ir biased? Our profile of this outlet
How did this read?
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![A man walks in front of a mural symbolising restrictions on shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's key shipping lanes, in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, September 14, 2026 [Osamah Abdulrahman/AP]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/ap_6aa85b880ee6f-1789418376.jpg?resize=1920%2C1440)
