Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Thursday that three oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking mines while trying to leave the Strait of Hormuz on a southern route it considers unauthorized.
The Guards said the ships had switched off their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings before the blasts.
The announcement follows a string of similar IRGC claims this month that tankers using routes Tehran does not recognize have been halted or set ablaze by mines.
Thursday’s report gave no names, flags or owners for the ships. Independent confirmation has been lacking. Maritime monitors including UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the Joint Maritime Information Center previously said there was no substantiation for IRGC claims that supertankers hit mines around mid-October. No ship operators, flag states or insurers have publicly confirmed the latest incidents.
UKMTO continues to record attacks on commercial vessels in and near the strait, typically involving projectiles. U.S. Central Command has at times rejected the mine explanation for Iranian claims, pointing instead to missiles and drones.
The claims come amid sharply reduced traffic through Hormuz since the conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February. Iran has insisted ships coordinate with it for passage, while commercial transits remain far below pre-conflict levels.
