Iran's Guards Say Three Tankers Hit Mines in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a powerful military force within the country's armed services, announced on Thursday that three oil tankers hit mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway links the Persian Gulf with the open sea, and roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas cargoes normally pass through it. The incidents come amid a war in the region that began on 28 February.

What Iran says

The Guard's statement says that over the past 24 hours the vessels, which it accuses of breaking the rules, exploded and burned after striking mines. According to the Guard, the tankers were trying to cross the strait by a southern route that Iran does not allow. It says the ships had switched off their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings from the Guard's naval forces.

The Guard maintains that this route is mined, so shipowners and crews are responsible for sailing along it. It says they should not heed what it calls fabrications by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on social media. CENTCOM oversees American military operations in the region. Iran's armed forces have repeatedly criticised it for urging ships to use the southern corridor off the coast of Oman.

What is known about the incidents

It is unclear when exactly the incidents happened or which flags the vessels were sailing under. On Thursday morning the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO), a British maritime security body, said it had received a report of a ship on fire in the strait, but gave no details about the cause or possible casualties.

Background

Since the war began, Iran has tightly restricted traffic through the strait. The United States, for its part, has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.