The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced on Sunday that large fires had broken out in two oil tankers after they collided with naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing them of attempting to cross the waterway through unauthorized routes.
The naval forces of the Revolutionary Guard stated in a statement that the oil tankers had collided with naval mines, one in the area east of the Strait of Hormuz and the other inside the strait, noting that the fires had ignited significantly in both.
The statement added that the tankers had committed several violations, including stopping navigation and positioning systems, in order to cross the strait via routes not authorized by Iranian authorities, without disclosing their names or nationalities.
This development comes amid ongoing security and military tensions in the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the Iranian war in late February, accompanied by restrictions imposed by Tehran on maritime navigation, requiring ships to use routes designated by Iranian authorities.
In contrast, the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and provided assistance to oil tankers to cross the strait, which had seen nearly one-fifth of global oil consumption transit before the outbreak of the war.
In recent weeks, Tehran has reported fires in several ships inside the Strait of Hormuz, amid rising concerns about the safety of maritime navigation and the stability of global energy supplies.