Iran Claims Two Tankers Hit Naval Mines As US Disables Ship In Gulf Of Oman

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy claimed on Sunday that two oil tankers caught fire after hitting naval mines while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz through a restricted route.

In a statement carried by its official media outlet, Sepah News, the navy said one tanker struck a mine east of the strait, while the other was hit while navigating the waterway.

The IRGC further claimed that both vessels had switched off their navigation and GPS systems before the explosions, which left them burning. It warned that ships entering the prohibited maritime zone in violation of Iranian regulations and cooperating with the US military would risk striking naval mines, Xinhua news agency reported.

Separately, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had disabled a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman after its crew allegedly ignored repeated warnings and attempted to breach the American naval blockade on Iran.

CENTCOM identified the ship as the St Kitts-flagged M/V Huda and said a US military aircraft fired precision munitions at its stern after instructing the crew to leave the targeted areas.

The vessel had reportedly attempted to leave regional waters after visiting an Iranian port.

Since July, US forces have redirected 147 commercial vessels and disabled five merchant ships that refused to comply with the blockade, CENTCOM said. It claimed that American forces had destroyed 10 Iranian commercial oil tankers allegedly linked to a multibillion-dollar shadow network operated by the IRGC.

Iran restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz on February 28, barring safe transit for vessels linked to Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.

Washington has, however, imposed a naval blockade on Iran.

Also Read: Iran Reports Tanker Fire Near Strait Of Hormuz As US-Iran Tensions Escalate