Three vessels, including two supertankers, caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz last night, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday, citing the incidents as a result of naval mines on an “illegal and unauthorized” route south of the waterway. The IRGC said the fires began after an oil tanker struck mines while passing through the “illegal” route, and that a second tanker, leaving the strait via the same route, also ignited. A tugboat that had approached the first tanker to help contain the blaze was reported to have caught fire as well, the agency added on its official outlet Sepah News.
The IRGC further claimed that members of a naval electronic‑warfare unit had taken control of two “invading” low‑cost uncrewed combat drones and landed them unharmed, calling those drones an international threat. In a statement, the Guard Corps accused the U.S. government of imposing “very heavy” insurance costs on American taxpayers and its allies in West Asia, asserting that the U.S. enticed vessels to violate rules and transit the mined route in the strait. The agency added that Iran had tightened its grip on the channel on Feb. 28, barring safe passage for vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States after their joint strikes on Iranian territory.
