Two Oil Tankers Catch Fire After Hitting Mines Near the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Says

Two fuel-laden oil tankers have caught fire in a massive blaze after colliding with floating mines in the southern part of the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the information early on Sunday (November 15).

The statement by the Iranian military was reported by the international news agency Anadolu Agency.

The IRGC notice said the two damaged vessels had completely switched off their navigation systems and their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders and were secretly trying to cross the maritime boundary through a prohibited route.

According to the notice, as soon as the tankers touched the mines laid in the waters, a powerful explosion occurred and flames spread over a large area.

However, Iran has not released any specific information about the actual identity of the damaged vessels, their flag countries, or possible casualties.

Earlier, on Friday, the Revolutionary Guard's naval wing had also claimed that two oil tankers were completely burned in a similar explosion while using an 'unauthorised route' through the strait's southern boundary.

Tehran had also earlier issued a stern warning to global shipping companies not to attempt to transit this sensitive strait without prior coordination with, and clearance from, the local Maritime Traffic Control Centre.

These incidents are taking place amid an intense ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran over navigation rights in the Strait of Hormuz, known as one of the main arteries for transporting most of the world's fuel oil and commercial goods.

The conflict began on February 28 this year with a joint US-Israeli military operation on Iranian territory. A temporary ceasefire took effect in April, but after a proposed settlement collapsed in June, war resumed between the two sides, and its heat is now seriously affecting this international sea corridor.