Iran says supertanker with 2 million barrels of oil sank in Gulf

Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced on Sunday that two oil tankers carrying a total of over two million barrels of crude oil collided with naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in explosions and fires. The incident occurred while the vessels were traversing the waterway without authorization, a common occurrence for Iranian authorities.

The Guards did not provide specific details about the names or origins of the tankers involved in the collision. Since the onset of the Middle East conflict in late February, Iran has imposed strict restrictions on shipping traffic through the strategic waterway, mandating vessels to use routes authorized by the Islamic republic.

Tehran has frequently targeted ships that transit without the necessary authorization. In response, the United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and facilitated tankers to navigate the strait, which typically accounts for about one-fifth of global oil trade. Recently, the American military claimed to have cleared all mines from the primary routes through the waterway.