IRGC reports tanker explosions in Strait of Hormuz and seizure of two US drones

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday morning that two oil tankers were involved in fires on the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz overnight and that its naval forces had taken control of two US drones, according to a statement carried by Mehr News Agency.

The statement praised the Iranian people for 250 days of what it described as steadfastness, saying this had set a new standard of insight and resistance, and said IRGC naval forces continue to manage the Strait of Hormuz. It said that in two separate incidents overnight, a large oil tanker attempting to cross the unauthorized southern route of the strait struck a mine, caught fire and was stopped. A second supertanker was leaving the same route east of the Strait of Hormuz when it was stopped in a large fire, and a tugboat that approached the supertanker to help extinguish the blaze also caught fire.

The IRGC said its naval electronic warfare units took control of two intruding Lucas drones, guiding them to land safely and seizing them as spoils. It did not give further details on the drones or their point of origin beyond describing them as US aircraft.

The statement said the United States, by insisting on and inciting vessels to violate the rules and cross the mined route, imposes heavy insurance costs for damaged vessels on American taxpayers and its regional allies. It said that had Washington shown prudence, it could have avoided these losses and what it called an embarrassing electoral defeat by releasing Iran's frozen assets, which it said amount to less than half the costs incurred so far. Attempts to break the law in the Strait of Hormuz will yield nothing but more financial losses and bigger political defeats for the United States, the statement said.

The IRGC did not provide the names or flags of the vessels involved, the extent of the damage, or details of casualties. There was no immediate independent confirmation of the incidents, and no response from US officials was reported in the statement. The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway for global oil shipments, and shipping traffic there has been a focus of regional tensions.

According to Mehr News Agency, the statement was issued on Thursday morning and described the incidents as occurring overnight.