Iran’s navy and Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that fires had broken out on three oil tankers that struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The claims have not been independently verified.
The Guards’ navy said two tankers had switched off their radar and positioning systems and were secretly trying to cross the strait by an unauthorised route when they exploded and caught fire after striking a naval mine. The statement was carried by Iranian state broadcasting. The Guards said one of the two was a supertanker.
A separate statement from Iran’s conventional navy said a third tanker, with its tracking and identification systems off, caught fire and was forced to stop after hitting a mine in a “prohibited zone” east of the strait. The Army Navy’s public relations office said the tanker owners had ignored warnings.
The statements did not give the names or origins of the vessels. They also did not report any casualties.
No independent confirmation
Reports from outside Iran show no independent confirmation of Saturday’s claims. As of November 13, CENTCOM, UKMTO and the IMO had not confirmed an earlier Guards claim of a gas carrier striking a mine. The US military says it has cleared the main routes through the waterway of mines. Some earlier Guards claims have been corroborated days later by UKMTO reports or tracking firms, while others have stayed unverified.
Background
Tehran has insisted that vessels obtain its authorisation to cross the strait since war erupted with the United States in February, and has attacked ships that do not comply. The US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and provides military support to tankers using the waterway.
Iran’s armed forces have reported several fires or explosions on ships in the strait in recent weeks, often saying the vessels struck mines. UKMTO said at least seven tankers were attacked in and around the strait in the week to November 11, and that traffic remains about 65 percent below pre-war levels. On Friday, the Guards released footage of a large smoke plume from a vessel they said was carrying liquefied gas and had hit a mine in the south of the strait.
