Tehran: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said two oil tankers exploded and ignited after they entered an area covered with mines south of the Strait of Hormuz this weekend. “Two oil tankers, while attempting to cross the minefield located south of the Strait of Hormuz under false information supplied by deceptive American intelligence agencies, exploded and ignited,” the IRGC Navy stated about the key shipping route, describing it as being “extremely unsafe” and effectively closed. The claims haven’t yet been independently verified.
US-Iran War Latest Update: Why is Iran accusing the United States?
Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB claimed that the two tankers ignored warnings issued by the Iranian Navy before entering the mined area, which allegedly resulted in explosions and large fires. The IRGC also blamed the United States, saying the vessels had been misled into taking the route. “Earlier today, two oil tankers, which were deceived by U.S. intelligence agencies into attempting to pass through a minefield in the southern Strait of Hormuz, exploded and caught fire,” it said. The United States has not responded to these allegations, and there has been no independent verification of Iran’s claims.
Why has Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed?
The IRGC said the Strait of Hormuz would remain “extremely unsafe and completely closed” until US military operations against Iran come to an end. “The IRGC Navy declares with certainty that the Strait of Hormuz is extremely unsafe and completely closed due to the crimes of the U.S. child-killing army, and until the aggressions of the criminal America end, it is impossible to export any chemical fertilisers or even a single drop of oil and gas from this region,” the statement read. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s busiest energy shipping routes, making any disruption there significant for global oil and gas supplies.
US-Iran War Latest Update: What does this mean for ships passing through the region?
Iranian Armed Forces warn vessels not to venture into its newly claimed minefield: “vessels should not be deceived and they should not enter minefield…in order to protect their assets and even more so their lives.” To date, however, there’s still no indication of independent verification that the Strait of Hormuz has been mined or officially shut down.
Meanwhile, international maritime authorities haven’t confirmed the incidents involving tankers either, and with heightened military tensions between the US and Iran continuing to flare up, worries are mounting about the security of commercial shipping across the region.
