Two unidentified oil tankers struck sea mines, exploded and came to a halt while burning in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, according to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC said the crews had left the vessels before the explosions.
The tankers were subsequently being moved through a route that the Iranian force considers unauthorised. Neither ship was identified. The statement gave no flag, owner, manager, IMO number, cargo details or exact position.
The IRGC said its naval forces had previously warned shipping about the danger of using a mined passage through the strait and warned shipping companies against using the route.
The two mine strikes have not been independently confirmed by international maritime security authorities. The latest available Joint Maritime Information Center assessment warned that drifting or uncharted mines remained a risk in and around the Strait of Hormuz traffic separation scheme, but did not confirm the two incidents.
The latest claim follows an earlier IRGC assertion that an unidentified supertanker struck two naval mines in the southern passage and caught fire.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a key route for international tanker traffic, with the latest claims adding to operational risks for owners considering vessel movements through the waterway.