IRGC Navy says two tankers caught fire in Strait of Hormuz

Two tankers caught fire after attempting to cross an unauthorized route in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement issued by the Public Relations Department of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy.

The IRGC Navy said one of the vessels, a supertanker, struck a naval mine, resulting in an explosion. A second tanker, which the IRGC said was being escorted by combat aircraft of what it described as the aggressor US military and was attempting to pass covertly via an unauthorized route, also faced an incident and came to a halt, engulfed in a large fire.

According to the statement, the oil tankers had switched off all their navigation and identification systems before the incidents. The IRGC said the vessels collided with what it called the "firewall" of the Strait of Hormuz. Both ships were left along the southern shores of the Strait and were ablaze at the time of the statement.

The IRGC Navy reiterated its earlier warning that the unauthorized route is unsafe. It said all vessels linked with the US military that intend to cross this route will face the same outcome. The statement referred to the US military as a terrorist and aggressor force.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway for global oil shipments, and shipping traffic there has been a focus of regional tensions. The IRGC Navy's public relations department issued the account of the incidents; no independent confirmation of the details was provided in the statement.

According to Mehr News, the IRGC Navy's statement said the two vessels remain along the southern shores of the Strait and are currently on fire.