Iran reports oil tanker explosions in Strait of Hormuz
Iran's military announced on Saturday that oil tankers exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after hitting naval mines. Reports differ on whether two or three tankers were involved.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Navy announced on Saturday that explosions and fires broke out on three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, which they said hit naval mines after entering areas not authorized for passage and disabling tracking and positioning systems. Iran's state television quoted a statement from the Revolutionary Guards' naval forces, stating that two oil tankers attempted to cross the strait through an unauthorized corridor before hitting naval mines and catching fire. In a separate statement, the Iranian Navy announced that a third oil tanker caught fire and was forced to stop after hitting a naval mine east of the Strait of Hormuz. The Navy said the tanker was sailing in an area it described as "unsafe and prohibited" after disabling its positioning systems. The two statements did not identify the three tankers or their flag states, while the Revolutionary Guards indicated that one of the two tankers that caught fire in the southern part of the strait is a very large crude carrier. Since the outbreak of the war on Iran, following the first US and Israeli strikes in February last year, Tehran has imposed strict restrictions on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic corridor for global energy supplies. In response, the United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and continues to escort ships crossing the strait, while Washington asserts that it has removed the majority of naval mines.