Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Nov 7: Iran's Army Navy on Saturday said an oil tanker caught fire after hitting naval mines east of the Strait of Hormuz, alleging that the vessel had violated warnings and entered a restricted and unsafe maritime zone.
In a statement published on the Army's website, the Navy said the tanker had switched off its navigation systems and was sailing through the "forbidden and unsafe" area east of the strait despite repeated warnings when it struck the mines and caught fire.
It warned that other vessels violating restrictions and ignoring warnings before entering the prohibited areas of the waterway could face a similar fate, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its aerospace division had established underground facilities for manufacturing missiles and drones and was continuously expanding the range of its missiles.
"We managed to rapidly relocate the production of missiles and drones from the surface to underground (facilities)," IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said at a press conference in Tehran.
"We are constantly enhancing the range of our missiles, and we will not stop in this regard," he said, adding that all tangible and intangible assets of a "hostile country" were within Iran's reach.
Mohebbi warned that Iran would unveil its military capabilities and surprises if its adversaries resumed attacks. He said the country was prepared to defend its existence, identity and territorial integrity without any geographical limitations.
His remarks came amid heightened US threats of military action against Iran and reports that the US Army had carried out "minor" strikes targeting Iran's southern Qeshm Island early Saturday.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency had earlier reported that two missiles struck Qeshm Island, but did not provide details about the extent of the damage.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that American forces had launched fresh strikes targeting Iran's air defence systems, describing the military action as "minor".
This was reportedly the second US strike against the Iranian island this week. The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, reported on Tuesday that the United States had attacked Qeshm Island on Monday.