Iranian Guard Claims Three Tankers Exploded in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy claimed that three oil tankers exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, a passage linking Persian Gulf shipping with global oil markets.

The force alleged that the tankers were using a route Iran considers unauthorized and had turned off their navigation and identification systems. It also claimed that smoke from the fires spread over the strait.

The navy accused U.S. forces of malicious actions connected to the reported incidents. It said ships had repeatedly been told about Iran’s passage rules and warned that vessels it considers in violation while cooperating with U.S. forces could face a similar outcome.

The claim concerns a waterway whose tanker traffic matters to global energy supplies. On Oct. 30, the IRGC Navy said it had stopped two commercial tankers in the southern Strait of Hormuz, accusing them of using unauthorized routes. In a separate statement that day, the force said a supertanker had struck a mine near the strait’s entrance and was burning.