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Four oil tankers caught fire after sea mines exploded as they attempted to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s military on Thursday (October 29).
Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said three tankers caught fire in mine explosions over the past 24 hours while attempting to use an unauthorised route along the southern part of the strategic waterway.
The Iranian army separately reported that another oil tanker caught fire in a mine blast in the eastern part of the strait while attempting to pass through what it described as a “restricted and dangerous” area, according to AFP.
In a statement, the IRGC said the first three vessels had switched off their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings from its naval forces.
The exact timing of the incidents and the nationalities of the tankers were not immediately known.
Late Thursday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported a fire aboard a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, about 25 nautical miles (46km) northeast of Khasab, Oman.
UKMTO had earlier reported two other incidents in the area, including a vessel catching fire and sinking, and another tanker being struck by an unidentified object while transiting the strait.
Dispute over mine clearance
Iran has reported several incidents involving ships encountering sea mines in recent weeks.
In response, the US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the region, reiterated on social media that all mines had been cleared from the “primary shipping lanes”.
Challenging the US claim, IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi wrote on social media platform X on Thursday: “Prove the claim of mine clearance in the Strait of Hormuz through independent evidence, not just statements!”
The IRGC said unauthorised routes through the strait remained mined and warned shipowners and crews against relying on what it called misleading information circulated by CENTCOM.
“Unauthorised routes in the Strait of Hormuz are mined, and shipowners and crews must bear responsibility for using these routes,” the statement said.
Strategic waterway under tension
Iran has severely restricted shipping through the strategic waterway since the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel began on February 28. Around one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies normally pass through the strait.
In response, the United States imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and has been assisting tankers seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
On October 25, CENTCOM said it had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through the strait since the summer.
Iran considers vessels using the southern corridor close to the Omani coast to be travelling through unauthorised routes.
In a separate statement, the IRGC also claimed that it had seized a US intelligence drone.
It said its naval forces had captured an American MQM-170 drone through an operation involving its electronic warfare unit in the western part of the Strait of Hormuz.
