Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated on Friday that two oil tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz. State media carried the announcement, which followed claims from Tehran a day earlier that five other tankers met a similar fate.
The military branch explained the incident in an official statement. Two violating oil tankers struck mines while attempting to transit via an unauthorized route. One vessel was located east of the strait while the second was inside the waterway itself.
Tehran stated that the vessels turned off their navigation and identification systems during the crossing. The report claimed the ships attempted to exit the strategic passage with the backing of the American military. Both vessels halted after hitting the explosives and catching fire.
The region has faced repeated disruptions since the outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28. Tehran has tried to restrict vessel traffic through the corridor. The waterway normally handles roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption.
Washington responded to the Iranian restrictions by imposing a blockade on Iranian ports. The United States military also began escorting commercial tankers through the passage to maintain flow.
United States Central Command stated last month that it assisted Gulf nations in exporting 1.5 billion barrels of oil through the strait since the summer. The American command also reported recently that all naval mines had been cleared from the channel.
Iranian media previously reported on Thursday that five oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz under similar circumstances.
Maritime officials have not independently confirmed any of the reported incidents in the waterway.
