▲ A tanker in the waters of the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran announced on November 1 (local time) that two oil tankers, including a very large crude carrier (VLCC), struck mines and exploded in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Reuters and Xinhua, the IRGC Navy stated through its media outlet Sepah News that the tankers were passing through the Strait of Hormuz along unauthorized routes.
It also claimed that the two tankers had their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) turned off, and that the VLCC, in particular, was engulfed in flames following a massive explosion.
Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the captain of a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz relayed a distress signal stating that another ship had been struck by an unidentified projectile.
It has not yet been confirmed whether the vessel-striking incident reported to the UKMTO is the same as the two-tanker mine explosion accident claimed by the IRGC Navy.
Since the outbreak of the war in late February, Iran has banned Israeli and U.S.-flagged vessels, as well as related ships, from passing through the Strait of Hormuz and has strengthened its control over the strait.
Iran maintains that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz must operate along approved routes with its authorization.
In response, the United States has implemented a maritime blockade targeting ships entering and leaving Iranian ports while supporting the passage of merchant vessels traveling to and from ports of countries other than Iran through the Strait of Hormuz.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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