IRGC says two tankers explode after striking mines in Strait of Hormuz
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- Iran's Revolutionary Guard says two tankers exploded after allegedly entering an unauthorized shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz.
- The IRGC claims one vessel was a supertanker and accused the ships of switching off their navigation and identification systems.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said two oil tankers exploded after striking naval mines while attempting to navigate what Tehran described as an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement carried by Iranian media, the IRGC said the vessels had switched off their navigation and identification systems and were attempting to cross the waterway secretly with support from the US military.
The statement said one of the vessels was a supertanker that caught fire following a powerful explosion. It added that both tankers had been brought to a halt following the incidents.
IRGC-affiliated Sepah News posted footage of the incident.
The claims could not be independently verified.
Tensions over Strait of Hormuz shipping
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions over maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil supplies passed before the conflict.
Iran has repeatedly warned commercial vessels against using routes it considers unauthorized, as Tehran seeks to maintain control over maritime traffic through the strait.
On October 30, the IRGC said four oil tankers had caught fire after striking naval mines while attempting to use unauthorized routes.
The US military's Central Command has disputed Iran's claims about mined shipping lanes, saying international commercial transit routes had been cleared of Iranian naval mines.
