Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that explosions hit two oil tankers after they set off mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway where Tehran has restricted navigation.
The Guards’ navy said in a statement broadcast by the state broadcaster early on Saturday. It said the two ships had switched off their radar and positioning systems and were secretly trying to cross through an “unauthorised route” when they struck a naval mine, catching fire.
Tehran’s control of the strait since February
Since the war with the United States broke out in February, Tehran has insisted that ships obtain its permission to cross the strait. It has attacked vessels that fail to comply. The statement gave no names or origins for the tankers, though it said one was a supertanker.
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US blockade and disputed mine claims
In response to Iran’s restrictions on the trade route, the United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and provides military support to tankers using the waterway. Iranian armed forces have reported several fires or explosions on ships in the strait in recent weeks, often blaming mines.
On Friday, the Guards released footage of a large plume of smoke rising from a vessel it said was carrying liquefied gas after hitting a mine in the south of the strait. The US military, however, says it has cleared the main routes through the waterway of mines.
