IRGC Navy says two oil tankers ablaze after striking naval mines in Strait of Hormuz
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- The IRGC Navy claimed the vessels attempted an unauthorized crossing.
- Iranian statement said that both tankers suffered massive explosions, caught fire, and were subsequently abandoned.
The naval branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Wednesday that two oil tankers were heavily damaged and left ablaze after detonating naval mines while attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz via an unauthorized route yesterday's night.
The IRGC Navy’s public relations office stated that the two vessels attempted to navigate through a restricted passage overnight.
The Iranian military alleged that the tankers operated with their tracking and automatic identification systems (AIS) switched off and were traveling under the air cover of US fighter jets and the direct guidance of a US military officer.
"Two oil tankers that secretly intended to exit through an unauthorized and hazardous route in the Strait of Hormuz last night, backed by fighter jets of the plundering and aggressive US military, struck naval mines and suffered massive explosions," the IRGC Navy said.
The military added that despite attempts by US-affiliated teams to bring the flames under control, both vessels remained engulfed in severe fires and had to be abandoned.
