Iran Claims It Stopped Three Oil Tankers In Strait Of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Thursday that it had intercepted three oil tankers attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz.

The force claimed one tanker was engulfed in flames following an explosion, forcing the remaining two vessels to abandon their passage and retreat.

In a statement released through Iranian state media, the IRGC alleged that the United States had encouraged the vessels to use a route allegedly containing naval mines. It warned that any ship attempting to pass through the strait without Iran’s authorisation would face similar action.

The tanker incident coincided with the 12th straight night of US military strikes on Iranian targets.

Iranian media reported that missiles struck areas around Ahvaz, Ramshir and Andimeshk in western Iran, along with a power facility near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the south.

The reports also stated that two people lost their lives in Shalamcheh, a town located near the Iraqi border.

US Central Command said the operations aimed to weaken Iran’s ability to threaten commercial ships and civilian vessels operating in regional waters.

US President Donald Trump warned that the United States would launch fresh attacks on Iranian infrastructure if Tehran targeted any vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz. He said the United States would consider bridges and power stations inside Iran as potential military targets in response to attacks on shipping.

Iran Vows Retaliation

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi reiterated that Tehran would respond forcefully to any aggression against its territory or critical infrastructure. He said Iran’s defence strategy would remain based on the principle of an ‘eye for an eye’, promising a decisive response to any future attacks.

The latest confrontation has heightened fears of further instability in West Asia, with investors and energy markets closely monitoring developments along one of the world’s most important oil transit routes.

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