Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Nov 8: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy on Sunday claimed that two oil tankers attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz through an "unauthorised" route caught fire after striking naval mines.
In a statement published by the IRGC's official news outlet, Sepah News, the navy said one tanker hit naval mines east of the strait, while the second struck mines while crossing the strategic waterway.
Both vessels had switched off their navigation and GPS systems and were engulfed in flames following the explosions, the statement added.
The IRGC warned that any vessel cooperating with the "aggressive" US Army and entering the restricted area of the strait in violation of Iranian regulations would "definitely" hit naval mines, Xinhua news agency reported.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had disabled a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman after its civilian crew allegedly ignored repeated warnings and attempted to breach the US naval blockade against Iran.
In a post on social media platform X, CENTCOM said the St Kitts-flagged cargo vessel M/V Huda had repeatedly attempted to violate the blockade.
"A US military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of St. Kitts-flagged M/V Huda, disabling the ship after CENTCOM forces directed the crew to abandon targeted spaces. The cargo vessel tried to depart regional waters after visiting an Iranian port," it said.
CENTCOM further stated that since July, US forces had redirected 147 commercial vessels and disabled five merchant ships that refused to comply with the blockade.
It also claimed that US forces had earlier destroyed 10 Iranian commercial oil tankers, alleging that the vessels were part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network operated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz on February 28, restricting the safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following joint strikes by the two countries on Iranian territory.
The United States has also imposed a naval blockade against Iran, further escalating tensions around the strategically important waterway.