IRGC Navy says third oil tanker caught fire in Strait of Hormuz

Three oil tankers exploded and caught fire in the early hours of the morning while attempting to navigate an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz with US military support, according to a statement issued by the Public Relations Office of the IRGC Navy. The statement said thick plumes of smoke rose into the sky following the incidents.

According to the IRGC Navy, the tankers had switched off their navigation and identification systems before attempting the passage. The force said Iran's set regulations for the Strait of Hormuz have repeatedly been declared to all vessels, and that disobedience of these regulations, or cooperation with the US military to pass unauthorized routes through the Strait, will inevitably lead to what it described as an unpleasant fate.

The statement did not specify the national flags or ownership of the vessels, the exact number of casualties, or the extent of the damage. It also did not give a precise location within the Strait for the incidents. The Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, is a key waterway for global oil shipments, and shipping traffic through it has been a recurring point of tension.

The IRGC Navy's announcement follows its earlier warnings to vessels regarding the rules it enforces in the Strait. Iranian officials have previously stated that all ships are required to comply with these regulations when transiting the waterway.

No independent confirmation of the incidents was immediately available, and no further details were provided by the IRGC Navy's Public Relations Office. The report by Mehr News (MNA) added that the tankers were attempting to use an unauthorized route at the time of the explosions.