El Gaia
Panama-flagged tanker Iran and the US give contradictory accounts of disabling near Hormuz.
El Gaia is a Panama-flagged tanker disabled near Musandam in the strait of Hormuz. Iran says a naval mine hit it; the US says a missile struck it a month earlier, then a drone hit it again on 12-13 September 2026.
Last refreshed: 22 September 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for El Gaia
Mentioned in: Al Funtas is struck and files no report
Iran Conflict 2026Panama-flagged tanker at the centre of the dispute
Iran Conflict 2026: Iran and CENTCOM clash over one tankerBackground
El Gaia (IMO 9325336) is a Panama-flagged oil products tanker built in 2005, with a deadweight of 47,999 tonnes and gross tonnage of 28,799. It was disabled while transiting the strait of Hormuz, roughly 103 nautical miles northeast of Musandam.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps says the vessel hit a naval mine. US Central Command gives a different account: a missile disabled it the previous month, and a drone struck it again on 12-13 September 2026 while it was under tow. Neither claim has been verified by an independent inspection of the ship.
An Omani naval vessel evacuated 23 CREW members; two remained missing as of the most recent report. Which account is accepted, mine or missile, determines which side's insurers bear the loss, making the dispute as much a legal and financial question as a military one.
What is the IMO number of the tanker El Gaia?
What happened to the tanker El Gaia in the Strait of Hormuz?
