Iran Says Two Oil Tankers Caught Fire After Hitting Mines in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guards say two oil tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after striking naval mines, in the latest confrontation around the narrow waterway that carries around a fifth of the world's oil.

The Guards said the two tankers were using routes Tehran had not authorised when they hit the mines. One was in the eastern part of the strait and the other inside the waterway itself. Both vessels were badly damaged and were said to be engulfed in flames. The names and nationalities of the tankers were not disclosed, and no independent confirmation of the claim has been given.

The Guards said the tankers had committed several violations, including switching off their navigation and positioning systems as they tried to cross through unauthorised waters. They warned that any vessel working with the United States military and entering zones Tehran considers off limits would face the same fate.

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The strait, the narrow passage between Iran and Oman, has become a flashpoint since war broke out between the United States and Iran in late February. Tehran has tightly restricted shipping through the waterway, insisting vessels use only routes it has authorised. Washington has in response imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and has escorted tankers through the strait. About one-fifth of the world's oil consumption normally passes through it.

The United States Central Command said it has helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through Hormuz since the summer, and has said all mines have been cleared from the waterway. Iran has made similar claims about tankers striking mines almost every day in recent weeks, and none has been independently confirmed.

The claim came hours after a United States military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of the cargo vessel M/V Huda in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday, disabling the ship. United States Central Command said the St. Kitts-flagged vessel had repeatedly tried to breach its naval blockade after visiting an Iranian port. Late on Saturday, sounds like explosions were also heard in Qeshm, Sirik, Jask and Bandar Abbas, in southern Iran. The cause of those sounds is not known.

With both sides now announcing action against commercial vessels on the same weekend, the standoff around the strait is deepening, and shipping through one of the world's most important energy routes faces growing uncertainty.