Four tankers on fire in Hormuz, Iran says. No ship named yet
The unverified account comes from Iran's Revolutionary Guard and army. Separate maritime alerts describe fires and a projectile strike in a passage that normally carries about one-fifth of global oil consumption.
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by Sami Haddad
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Iran's armed forces say four tankers caught fire after striking mines in the Strait of Hormuz, adding an unverified claim of mine strikes to an already dangerous disruption of oil shipping.
The Revolutionary Guard described three tankers using a southern route that Tehran called unauthorised. Iran's army later said a fourth tanker caught fire east of the strait after hitting mines in an area it described as restricted. Those descriptions of the routes are Iran's position.
The Daily Inference reported on October 23 that the Revolutionary Guard said two loaded oil tankers had been disabled by sea mines off the strait's southern coast. The latest account raises the number of vessels Iran is describing, but does not establish a new incident count.
According to Iran's statement, the first three tankers had turned off radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings from the Guard. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the Guard's account.
The claim also puts mine clearance in dispute. The US military's Central Command said it had cleared the primary transit routes, according to CNA. Guard spokesman Hossein Mohebi challenged that statement on X, saying: "Prove your Hormuz mine-clearing claim with independent evidence, not statements!"
The tankers' names, flags, crews and exact incident times have not been established, nor have any injuries or environmental damage from the alleged mine strikes. It is also unknown whether Iran's account describes new events, overlaps with its earlier claims or includes vessels in separate maritime alerts.
