Two oil supertankers carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil each caught fire after hitting naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said on Saturday.
In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC Navy said the second incident occurred on Saturday morning, triggering a massive fire aboard the vessel and leaving it unable to move.
The navy claimed that the tanker had switched off its GPS and radar systems and was attempting to cross the strategic waterway through an unauthorised route. The explosion occurred in the vessel’s engine room, it added.
Earlier on Saturday, the IRGC Navy reported a similar explosion involving another supertanker that was allegedly attempting to transit the strait through an unauthorised route.
The vessel also caught fire after reportedly hitting a naval mine, according to the statement.
Iran tightened restrictions on passage through the Strait of Hormuz on February 28, barring safe passage for vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.