Ships navigate the Strait of Hormuz. [Reuters]
Ships navigate the Strait of Hormuz. [Reuters]

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday (local time) that two oil tankers operating in violation of regulations on an unauthorized route were destroyed in mine explosions.

The IRGC's public affairs office issued a statement saying that "a few hours ago, two oil tankers whose crews had been disembarked at the instigation of US forces and which were traveling an illegal route under the control of American agents entered a minefield, exploded, and are now engulfed in flames."

The IRGC warned that its navy had "previously cautioned against the danger of passing through the minefield," adding that it was "planning stricter punishment, to be carried out soon, against shipping companies that fail to follow legitimate routes and, deceived by the United States, hand their vessels over entirely to the enemy."

The Revolutionary Guard also lashed out at the United States over a strike on a wedding venue in southern Iran that it said occurred Tuesday, saying American forces had "once again last night carried out the same extortion scenario they have used every time they invade another country to display their brutality and drive the public into fear."

The statement added that "the Iranian people are not those who will be intimidated by such tactics, and these acts of brutality will never weaken our control over the Strait of Hormuz."


mokiya@heraldcorp.com