Iran says four tankers on fire after hitting mines in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced that four tankers caught fire after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, a day after the US military confirmed it had cleared key passages through the waterway. Over the past 24 hours, three oil tankers exploded and caught fire while attempting to pass through the unauthorized southern route of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

Later on the same day, another tanker caught fire east of the strait after hitting mines while navigating a restricted and dangerous area. The initial three vessels had disabled their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings from the IRGC navy, the statement claimed. The circumstances surrounding the incidents, including the time they occurred and the vessels' flag statuses, remain unclear.

UK Maritime Trade Organisations (UKMTO) received a report of a vessel on fire approximately 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, in the Hormuz strait. On Sunday, CENTCOM reported that it had assisted Gulf countries in exporting 1.5 billion barrels of oil through the strait since the summer. Iran considers the southern route near the Omani coast to be unauthorized.

The IRGC stated that the route is mined, and vessel operators and crews are responsible for navigating these routes, rejecting CENTCOM's alleged "delusions" on social media. The IRGC Navy also announced the capture of a US MQM-170 drone during an offensive operation in the western Strait of Hormuz.