Two oil tankers carrying about two million barrels of crude each caught fire after allegedly striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said.
The IRGC said one vessel hit a mine, causing an explosion and a “fierce fire”, while the second struck another mine and was engulfed in a “massive blaze”. The claims were reported by Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
The names of the tankers and the origin of their cargo were not immediately known. IRNA said both vessels had switched off their positioning and radar systems before attempting to use a route that Iran had not authorised.
The IRGC also alleged that one tanker tried to cross the waterway “with US support”, while the other was left immobilised. No further details about the condition of the vessels or their crews were provided.
Iran has demanded that ships obtain its authorisation before passing through the Strait of Hormuz, after taking control of the waterway following the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran in late February.
Rear Admiral Ali Azmaei, the IRGC’s naval commander, warned earlier this week that any vessel disabling its navigation systems would be treated as “hostile”.
The latest reports follow claims by Iran’s army that two tankers caught fire on Thursday and Friday in what Tehran described as a prohibited zone in the Gulf of Oman. Maritime monitors also reported two tankers being struck in Gulf waters off Saudi Arabia on Friday.
Attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz have increased over the past two weeks. Six vessels were attacked in or near the waterway last Sunday, described by security firm Vanguard, the International Maritime Organization and the UK maritime agency UKMTO as the highest number in a single day since the war began.
The disruption has affected oil shipments through the strategic waterway. Kpler data showed that nearly 20.8 million barrels passed through on October 8, compared with 2.9 million barrels on October 11, while global energy prices and inflation have risen.
