IRAN’S Revolutionary Guards said Thursday that three tankers had caught fire after hitting mines while attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, a day after the US military insisted it had demined key routes through the waterway.
“Over the past 24 hours, three violating oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking mines while attempting to pass through the unauthorized southern route of the Strait of Hormuz,” the IRGC said in a statement.
The vessels had “switched off all their radar and navigation systems” and disregarded warnings from the IRGC navy, the statement said.
It was not immediately clear when the incidents occurred or which flags the tankers were flying.
In recent weeks, Iran has reported multiple vessels striking sea mines, prompting US Central Command (CENTCOM), which runs military operations in the region, to reaffirm on social media its insistence that all mines in “primary transit routes” have been cleared.
On Thursday, Hossein Mohebi, the spokesman for the IRGC challenged the claim, saying: “Prove your Hormuz mine-clearing claim with independent evidence, not statements!” in a post on X.
Since the outbreak of the war on 28 February, Iran has severely restricted traffic through the strategic waterway, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil and gas consumption.
AFP
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