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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that two oil tankers caught fire following explosions in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement published by semi-official Tasnim News Agency on Tuesday (November 10), the IRGC Navy said both tankers had attempted to pass through the strategic waterway via unauthorised shipping routes.
The statement claimed that one supertanker exploded after striking a naval mine, while the other attempted to secretly cross a prohibited route with assistance from US military aircraft.
The IRGC did not provide further details about the incidents but said the second vessel became trapped in flames.
According to the statement, both tankers had switched off their navigation and identification systems before attempting to cross the strait. They later caught fire near the waterway’s southern coast.
Iran did not disclose the names, flag states or ownership of the vessels. No information was provided about casualties or the condition of the crews.
The US military did not immediately comment on the allegation that its aircraft had assisted one of the tankers.
The IRGC warned that unauthorised passage through the waterway remained unsafe and cautioned that vessels attempting to use prohibited routes with US military assistance could face similar consequences.
Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the February strikes by the United States and Israel, amid continuing tensions between Tehran and Washington over the strategically important global oil and gas shipping route.
