Explosions reported in southern Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guard claims three tankers damaged

One vessel said to be carrying over 2 million barrels

Tensions rise as Iran also claims downing of US drone

An oil tanker anchors in the Strait of Hormuz. [AP]
An oil tanker anchors in the Strait of Hormuz. [AP]

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that three oil tankers struck mines and caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz in a single day. Iran warned of further strikes against vessels that violate its passage rules, raising tensions along one of the world's most critical oil shipping routes.

On Tuesday (local time), the IRGC said in a statement that two oil tankers had struck mines laid by the Iranian navy in a transit zone in the southern Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC's public affairs office said the mines exploded, causing fires aboard both tankers and halting their navigation after the vessels violated passage regulations.

The IRGC warned that transiting waters where mines have been laid is illegal and that vessels doing so risk the destruction of their ships and other assets.

Later that evening, the IRGC issued a second statement saying a third oil tanker had also struck a mine in the southern Strait of Hormuz.

According to the IRGC, the tanker was carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil and had switched off all radar and navigation equipment at the time of the collision.

"If such arbitrary actions continue, the oil companies involved will have to pay a far greater cost," the IRGC said, calling for strict compliance with the strait's passage rules.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations also said it had received a report of an incident involving an oil tanker and military personnel approximately 121 nautical miles (224 kilometers) east of Duqm, Oman.

However, UKMTO described the incident as military personnel approaching an oil tanker in the course of regional military activity. It was not confirmed whether the incident was the same as the mine strikes and fires claimed by the IRGC.

Iran has been enforcing an effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and restricting vessel traffic since the war with the United States. Repeated claims of tanker damage along the world's major oil shipping lane have deepened concerns about crude oil transport and maritime safety.

Meanwhile, the IRGC claimed it shot down a US MQ-9 drone conducting reconnaissance over the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday night. It was not immediately known whether the US military had confirmed the claim.


sjy@heraldcorp.com