IRGC Navy says two oil tankers halted in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy said in a statement on Friday that two oil tankers were halted in the southern waters of the Strait of Hormuz after they attempted to pass through unauthorized routes, according to Mehr News Agency (MNA).

The statement said one tanker was located in the eastern part of the strait and the other in the western part. According to the IRGC Navy, both vessels had switched off all their navigation and positioning systems and, with the support of what the statement called the US terrorist army, sought to leave the Strait of Hormuz through unauthorized routes.

The IRGC Navy said the tankers received several radio warnings but ignored the instructions, entered an unsafe area and encountered incidents before being halted off the southern coast of the Strait of Hormuz. The statement added that the stoppage and fires aboard the vessels resulted from what it described as the hostile actions of the US terrorist army and the tankers' disregard for Iranian regulations governing the Strait of Hormuz.

The statement did not provide further details on the extent of the damage, the identity or flag of the vessels, or any casualties. No independent confirmation of the account was immediately available.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a large share of the world's seaborne oil passes. Iran has repeatedly stated that it regulates navigation in the strait and has warned against unauthorized movements by foreign-linked vessels.

Tensions between Iran and the United States over maritime activity in the Gulf region have persisted in recent years, with both sides issuing competing accounts of incidents involving commercial shipping. The IRGC Navy's statement is the latest in a series of announcements concerning vessel movements in the strait.

According to Mehr News Agency, the IRGC Navy's statement said the two tankers were stopped after ignoring radio warnings and that fires aboard the vessels followed the incidents. The report did not elaborate on the current status of the tankers or their crews.