The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran claimed on the night of July 19 (local time) that two oil tankers exploded while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement released on July 20, the Revolutionary Guard announced, "Late at night, two oil tankers violated regulations by attempting to enter and exit through dangerous, high-risk shipping lanes in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz under the instigation and coercion of the U.S. military, resulting in explosions that halted their operations."

The statement further warned, "The intervention of the terrorist U.S. military, which has come from thousands of kilometers away, lacks any legal justification, and we will respond to it with firm determination. As long as the U.S. military's evil acts continue in the region, the passage of any chemical fertilizers, oil, or gas through the strait will not be safe."

While the Revolutionary Guard did not specify the cause of the explosions, it threatened, "The aggressor forces should be prepared for our punitive operations against this illegal violation," hinting at the possibility of an attack by Iranian forces.

The previous day, the Revolutionary Guard announced that "two oil tankers that were attempting to secretly pass through the Strait of Hormuz suffered an accident and came to a stop."

It has not been confirmed whether the two vessels mentioned in the latest claim are the same tankers.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) stated that it received information from military authorities at 2:15 a.m. on July 20 (Iran time) regarding a fire on a vessel in waters approximately 15 km away from the Musandam Peninsula in Oman, located in the middle of the Strait of Hormuz.

The UKMTO explained that the vessel was drifting after being struck by an unidentified projectile, adding, "The fire has not yet been brought under control, but no environmental damage has been reported."

The crew members safely abandoned the ship and were rescued by a tugboat, the UKMTO added.

Bloomberg reported that the oil tanker Cabo Maleas is one of the vessels that may have been targeted by Iran.

The tanker began sending signals that it was anchored near the tip of the Musandam Peninsula in Oman on July 20, with its previous location signal transmitted from the Gulf of Oman on the morning of July 19.

Bloomberg analyzed that this indicates the vessel was entering the Persian Gulf through the strait with its location transponder turned off.

With Iran targeting vessels amidst armed conflict with the United States, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is effectively paralyzed.