TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday that three oil tankers caught fire after striking naval mines while attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital waterway for global energy supplies. In a statement, the IRGC said the incidents occurred over the previous 24 hours as the vessels attempted to use what Tehran described as an unauthorized southern route through the strait.
The Guards alleged that the tankers had switched off their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings from the IRGC Navy before striking the mines. The claims could not be independently confirmed. The nationalities of the vessels, the timing of the incidents and the extent of the damage were not immediately clear. “The IRGC Navy states that the unauthorised route through the Strait of Hormuz is mined,” the force said, warning vessel owners and crews against using the route.
Earlier Thursday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said it had received a report of a ship on fire in the Strait of Hormuz. The agency did not immediately provide details about the cause of the fire or report any casualties. It was unclear whether the vessel was among the three tankers mentioned by the IRGC. The incident comes amid heightened tensions over maritime traffic through the strait, where competing security claims have raised concerns about the safety of commercial shipping.
Since the war began on February 28, Iran has severely restricted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route that normally carries about one-fifth of global oil and gas consumption. The United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in response, further intensifying tensions between the two countries.
Iranian military officials have repeatedly accused US Central Command (CENTCOM) of encouraging vessels to use a southern shipping corridor near the Omani coast that Tehran considers unauthorized. The IRGC has warned that vessels using the disputed route could face risks from sea mines, while the dispute over access and maritime security continues.
In a separate statement, the IRGC Navy also claimed that its electronic warfare unit had captured a US reconnaissance drone during an operation in the western Strait of Hormuz. According to the statement, the drone was identified as an MQM-170 and was captured during what the Guards described as an offensive operation. The claim had not been independently verified, and further details about the drone’s status and the circumstances of the reported interception were not immediately available.
The reported tanker fires and drone incident underscore the growing security risks facing commercial shipping and military operations in and around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime energy corridors.
