Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy claimed Wednesday that two oil tankers struck sea mines overnight and were abandoned on fire while attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz along an unauthorized route under US fighter jet cover. Iran’s regular army navy also stated Wednesday that a tanker caught fire after hitting a mine in a restricted area east of the waterway, two months after Tehran said it had laid additional mines in the strait, while Fars News Agency published footage allegedly showing the explosions.
Earlier in the day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations center issued Warning 202-26 after receiving a report from military authorities of a tanker incident in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that the status of the crew, vessel damage and environmental impact were unknown. Earlier Tuesday, the UKMTO also logged an attack 19 nautical miles northeast of Lima, Oman, where a tanker captain reported being struck by an unknown projectile with the crew safe and no environmental impact.
