CENTCOM disputes IRGC account that a naval mine struck tanker El Gaia in Hormuz

On the evening of Monday, September 14, 2026, Iranian media cited the IRGC as saying the Panama-flagged supertanker El Gaia, which was trying to pass through a restricted zone in the southern Strait of Hormuz, exploded after striking naval mines. But US Central Command (CENTCOM), according to Al Jazeera, disputed that account, saying the vessel was hit by an Iranian missile last month and was struck again by a drone this past weekend while sitting in waters off the coast of Oman. In the same report, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Expediency Council, said the stakes around oil and the strait had changed and that there would be no talks with the US until Iran's demands were met.