Iran Appears to Attack Oil Tankers in Strait of Hormuz... "Operations Suspended After Fires on 2 Vessels"

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on the 30th (local time) that fires broke out on two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, causing them to halt operations.

While the specific cause of the fires has not been disclosed, given that the IRGC claimed the vessels deviated from the routes designated by Iran, they are presumed to have been attacked by the Iranian military.

In a statement, the Revolutionary Guard said, "Two rule-violating oil tankers attempting to pass through unauthorized routes in the eastern and western parts of the Strait of Hormuz encountered an incident and were brought to a stop in the waters south of the strait."

The statement went on to claim, "These oil tankers had turned off all navigation and tracking systems and were attempting to slip away through unauthorized routes with the support of the terrorist U.S. military."

The Revolutionary Guard did not specify the exact nature of the incident.

However, it added that the vessels continued to sail despite receiving multiple radio warnings, which they ignored.

The Iranian military had previously stated the day before that at least four oil tankers had collided with mines and remained stopped in the area.

Iran has strictly restricted maritime traffic through this strategic waterway since the Middle East war broke out following the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on February 28 that resulted in the death of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In response, the U.S. has enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports, heavily restricting Iran's oil exports and trade activities.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.