IRGC Says Three Oil Tankers Hit Mines Near Strait of Hormuz

By Staff, Agencies

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says three oil tankers attempting to transit an unauthorized route south of the Strait of Hormuz struck naval mines, triggering explosions and fires.

In a statement on Thursday, the IRGC Navy’s public relations office said the vessels were subsequently abandoned off the southern coast of the strategic waterway, which Iran has maintained under its control amid the ongoing standoff.

According to the statement, the tankers had switched off their radar and navigation systems and attempted to leave through an unauthorized route despite warnings from the IRGC Navy.

The force warned that unauthorized routes in the Strait were mined and held vessel owners and crews responsible for using them.

The IRGC Navy also cautioned shipowners and crews against relying on claims made by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on social media regarding operations in the Strait of Hormuz. It warned that any provocative action disregarding the waterway’s regulations would be met with a firm response.

Meanwhile, IRGC spokesman Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi challenged CENTCOM to provide independently verifiable evidence of its reported mine-clearing operations, rather than statements alone.

He also invoked the 1956 Suez Crisis, citing it as an example of the constraints powerful countries can face when attempting to control strategically important maritime routes.

Separately, Iranian Army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz remained under the strategic control of Iran’s armed forces and would stay closed until the Islamic Republic’s conditions were fully met.

Iran restricted passage through the Strait in response to what it describes as US-“Israeli” aggression, which began on February 28 and halted in early April after 40 days of fighting.

On June 17, Tehran and Washington signed a Pakistan-brokered Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). According to the report, Article 5 assigns responsibility for reopening and managing the Strait to Iran.

However, Washington subsequently imposed a naval blockade, which Tehran says violated the agreement and undermined Iran’s sovereignty over the waterway. In response, Iranian authorities declared the vital global energy chokepoint closed to all traffic.