IRGC says two tankers caught fire in ‘accident’ in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says that two tankers carrying over four million barrels of oil caught fire after an “accident” on an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Last night, two tankers — acting in violation of regulations and despite repeated warnings from the Revolutionary Guards Navy regarding the unauthorized and dangerous nature of the southern maritime route — were involved in an accident while traversing this prohibited path in the strait,” the IRGC says in a statement.

It does not specify the nature of the “accident” but says it left the two tankers immobilised after they were hit with a “violent explosion.”

“These two supertankers were carrying a combined total of over four million barrels of oil, which are now ablaze — a consequence of the blind trust placed in the aggressive American military,” the statement says.

Iranian forces have made multiple announcements in recent weeks of ships catching fire attempting to use routes that Tehran considers off-limits.

Tehran has often said they struck mines, but the US military recently claimed all mines had been cleared from the strait.