OMM Newsroom
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Tuesday that two oil tankers were left burning after explosions while trying to navigate what it called an “unauthorized route” through the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu Agency reported.
In a statement carried by the semi-official “Tasnim” news agency, the IRGC Navy said the tankers were stopped in an “unauthorized” shipping corridor, where explosions and large fires occurred.
One of the vessels, a supertanker, struck a naval mine and exploded, the statement said.
The IRGC claimed the second tanker had been receiving support from US military fighter jets. It said the vessel encountered an unspecified incident while trying to pass “secretly” through the restricted route, leaving it stranded and engulfed in flames.
Both tankers had switched off their navigation and identification systems before attempting the crossing, according to the IRGC Navy. The vessels were left burning near the strait’s southern shores, it said.
The IRGC Navy warned that the unauthorized route remained unsafe and threatened similar consequences for vessels cooperating with the US military that attempted to use it.
The statement did not identify the tankers, their flags or operators, or provide information about possible casualties or the condition of their crews. The US military did not immediately confirm the alleged involvement of American fighter jets.
The announcement came amid repeated maritime incidents in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has imposed restrictions on commercial shipping during its continuing confrontation with the US.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and is a vital passage for global oil and gas shipments.
Maritime traffic through the waterway has been severely disrupted since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in February, triggering a regional conflict and a prolonged dispute over navigation rights.
