Four tankers catch fire after striking mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran says, amid dispute with the U.S.

Tehran — Four oil tankers caught fire after striking naval mines while attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's armed forces said on Thursday, a day after the United States military said it had cleared the main routes of that strategic waterway of mines.

According to a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), three oil tankers exploded and caught fire in the previous 24 hours after striking mines while attempting to pass through what Tehran describes as an unauthorized southern route of the strait. The Guard said the vessels had switched off their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings from its navy.

Iran's army separately reported that a fourth tanker caught fire east of the strait after striking a mine while operating, according to Tehran, in a restricted and dangerous area. Iranian authorities did not specify when the incidents occurred or under which flags the vessels were sailing.

The British agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, for its part, that it had received a report of a vessel on fire about 25 nautical miles (46 kilometers) northeast of Khasab, Oman, inside the strait. Earlier, the same agency had reported two other incidents in the area: a traditional dhow that caught fire and sank following a maritime security incident, and a tanker struck by a projectile of unknown origin while transiting the strait.

The episode reignited the public dispute between Washington and Tehran over the safety of the waterway. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has insisted on social media that all mines in the main transit routes were cleared, while Revolutionary Guard spokesman Hossein Mohebi demanded independent proof: “Prove your claim that Hormuz was cleared of mines with independent evidence, not statements.”

Since the war began on February 28, Iran has severely restricted traffic through the strait, through which about one-fifth of global oil consumption normally travels, while the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and helped tankers cross the waterway. Tehran considers the southern route, near Oman's coast, unauthorized, and warned that shipowners and crews who use it bear responsibility.

Photo: Malay Mail

Source: AFP, vía Malay Mail