Iran announces the outbreak of fire in two oil tankers after they collided with mines in the Strait of Hormuz

This morning (Sunday), the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced that fires broke out in two oil tankers after they collided with mines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to what was reported by the Iranian “IRNA” agency.

Since the outbreak of the Iranian war in late February, Tehran has imposed strict restrictions on traffic through the strategic waterway, forcing ships to sail on its approved routes.

In response, the United States imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and provided assistance to oil tankers to cross the strait, which before the outbreak of war was a passage for about a fifth of global oil consumption.

The Revolutionary Guards' naval forces said in a statement that "two violating oil tankers, one within the eastern Strait of Hormuz and the other inside it, were intending to cross via an unauthorized route. They were subjected to a collision with a sea mine, and very intense fire is currently breaking out in them."

The statement added: “These two tankers had committed multiple violations and turned off their navigation and positioning systems with the intention of crossing the unauthorized route.”

The statement did not specify the name or nationality of the two carriers.

In recent weeks, Tehran reported fires on several ships inside the Strait of Hormuz.

IRNA reported in a separate report late Saturday that explosions were heard in various parts of the country.

She added that “sounds resembling explosions were heard in Qeshm, Sirik, Jask and Bandar Abbas,” noting that “the cause of these sounds is still unknown.”

The agency reported that officials confirmed an “impact” in the coastal city of Jask.

Trump had talked about the possibility of resuming intense attacks against Iran, but he later backed down from this idea. However, the US military announced that it carried out limited strikes from time to time. Months after imposing an ongoing naval blockade on Iran, the US military decided to form a task force to reinforce Washington's efforts to restrict Tehran's transfer of advanced weapons systems and other sanctioned materials across its land borders and the Caspian Sea. The US Central Command (Centcom) announced that the task force will be called “Iron Gate,” and will be based in Tampa, Florida, and will coordinate its work with other government agencies. In addition to weapons transfers, the task force will also focus on dual-use items and illicit sources of income. Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of Central Command, said in a statement: “Enhancing Central Command’s cooperation with partners across US agencies will further limit Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and rebuild its military capabilities.” Centcom estimated that its naval blockade prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion worth of crude oil. Meanwhile, the battle of wills between Washington and Tehran is escalating at the negotiating table, while the positions of both parties fluctuate between diplomatic efforts to contain the escalation and pressures to return to a final and decisive military confrontation. Axios reported that US Vice President J.D. Vance is in almost daily contact with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman and Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Asim Munir to discuss negotiations with Iran.