The Navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reported that two supertankers caught fire following explosions caused by naval mines in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz. The blasts disabled the vessels’ engines, leaving them immobilized and forcing the crews to abandon ship.
In a statement released by Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, the IRGC Navy claimed that the two vessels were attempting to navigate through the southern section of this strategically vital waterway via “unauthorized routes.”
The statement noted that explosions and intense fires in the engine rooms rendered the vessels’ propulsion systems inoperable, leaving the tankers stranded at sea.
According to the IRGC, the two ships were carrying a combined total of more than 4.5 million barrels of crude oil.
The statement added that the vessels were subsequently left abandoned near the southern coast of the Strait of Hormuz after the crews departed.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and serves as a critical maritime route for the global transport of petroleum.
Amid ongoing tensions with the United States regarding control of the waterway and maritime security, Iran has repeatedly warned that no vessel will be permitted to traverse routes it deems “unauthorized.”
