Four Tankers Hit Mines in Hormuz

Iran’s armed forces have reported that four oil tankers caught fire after striking sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, challenging a recent United States military claim that key shipping routes through the strategic waterway had been cleared.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said three tankers exploded and caught fire within 24 hours after hitting mines while attempting to use what it described as an unauthorised southern passage through the strait.

“Over the past 24 hours, three violating oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking mines while attempting to pass through the unauthorised southern route of the Strait of Hormuz,” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said in a statement.

Iran’s army later reported a fourth incident involving a tanker east of the waterway, saying the vessel struck mines while operating in an area designated as restricted and dangerous.

According to the IRGC, the first three tankers had disabled their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings from its navy before entering the mined route.

The authorities did not immediately identify the vessels’ flags or establish when the incidents occurred.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported two separate maritime incidents. One involved a traditional dhow that caught fire and sank following a security incident, while another concerned a tanker struck by an unidentified projectile as it sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest reports follow several recent claims by Iran that vessels have struck mines in the area. 

US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the region, has maintained that mines have been removed from the main shipping routes.

IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi challenged that assertion on Thursday, demanding independent evidence to support Washington’s claim that the waterway had been cleared.

“Prove your Hormuz mine-clearing claim with independent evidence, not statements!”

Since the war began on February 28, Iran has sharply restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage that normally carries about one-fifth of global oil consumption.

The United States has responded by imposing a blockade on Iranian ports and assisting vessels travelling through the strait. 

On Sunday, CENTCOM said it had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through the waterway since the summer.

Iran regards vessels using the southern corridor close to the Omani coast as operating on an unauthorised route. The IRGC warned shipowners and crews that the passage remained mined and urged them not to rely on CENTCOM’s public assurances.

In a separate announcement, the Guards also claimed to have captured a US reconnaissance drone during an operation in the western Strait of Hormuz.

“The IRGC Navy announced that its electronic warfare unit had successfully captured a US MQM-170 drone during an offensive operation in the western Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said.