Strait of Hormuz: two tankers on fire after hitting mines, according to Iran

The Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, claimed on Saturday that two oil tankers had caught fire after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz, at the heart of the conflict between Tehran and Washington. Iran claims control of this strategic maritime route, through which a fifth of the world's hydrocarbons transited before the war triggered at the end of February by Israeli-American strikes against Iran. Tehran regularly attacks ships that attempt to pass through it without its authorization. In return, the United States imposed a blockade of Iranian ports and escorted oil tankers along the Omani coast.

“Two oil tankers that had disabled their radar and positioning systems and were secretly attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz via an unauthorized route exploded and caught fire after hitting a naval mine during the night,” the Guardians said in a statement posted on Telegram. The Iranian armed forces have in recent weeks increased the number of announcements of fires or explosions on board ships that have struck mines in the strait, while Washington claims to have largely cleared this maritime passage.

On Friday, the Guardians broadcast images broadcast by state media showing what they claim is a ship “carrying natural gas” which is on fire after hitting a mine south of the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday night, the Revolutionary Guards said their forces had targeted a US early warning radar system in Bahrain. Neither Bahrain nor the United States have confirmed the attack.