Four tankers struck by explosions in Hormuz: Iran

DUBAI - Four oil tankers were struck by explosions in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's military. The vessels reportedly disregarded warnings and entered restricted areas of the strategically significant waterway. Despite a rising traffic flow and decreasing oil prices, resulting from a US-Iranian war, attacks on tankers persist in the strait.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy claimed that two supertankers were disabled by explosions on Wednesday, after they disregarded warnings against using an "unauthorized route." However, the veracity of this report remains unverified by Reuters. State media broadcasted video footage of the incidents. Iran's navy subsequently reported that two additional tankers encountered mines on Thursday afternoon while navigating through the eastern Strait of Hormuz.

After violating warnings and disabling their radar systems, the tankers caught fire. Earlier in the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran, which started in February, the IRGC Navy had declared its attacks on tankers. Recently, the Navy has reported that vessels have caught fire after colliding with naval mines while traversing the southern part of the strait, which it has designated as an unauthorized route.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) reported in various occurrences that vessels were hit by unidentified projectiles. On Wednesday, a vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile approximately 14 nautical miles northwest of the UAE emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah while exiting the strait, resulting in a fire in its engine room.

Efforts to extinguish the fire are ongoing, and all crew members have been evacuated. Since the conflict began in late February, at least 10 ships have been targeted in the first ten days of November, marking the highest monthly tally of attacks since the conflict's onset.