Four tankers caught fire after hitting mines while attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s armed forces, a day after the US military claimed it cleared key routes through the waterway, reports AFP.
“Over the past 24 hours, three violating oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking mines while attempting to pass through the unauthorised southern route of the Strait of Hormuz,” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said in a statement.
Another tanker had caught fire east of the strait, after hitting mines while “operating in a restricted and dangerous area”, Iran’s army reported later Thursday.
The initial three vessels had “switched off all their radar and navigation systems” and disregarded warnings from the IRGC navy, the statement said.
It was not immediately clear when the incidents occurred or which flags the tankers were flying.
