Two new incidents with naval mines in Hormuz further strain the Iranian blockade
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard reported this Sunday that two other oil tankers exploded and caught fire after colliding with naval mines last night when they were trying to cross “unauthorized” routes in the Strait of Hormuz, where incidents with ships have multiplied in recent weeks.
“Two offending oil tankers, one in the eastern area of the Strait of Hormuz and the other inside the strait, which were trying to cross unauthorized routes, collided with naval mines and are involved in intense fires,” said the Revolutionary Guard Navy in a statement reported by the Tasnim agency.
The military body assured that both oil tankers had turned off their navigation and positioning systems to cross “prohibited zones”, without specifying their flags or reporting possible victims.
The Revolutionary Guard Navy warned that any vessel that collaborates with US forces and fails to comply with Iranian rules when navigating through the Strait of Hormuz risks similar incidents.
The announcement comes after the Iranian Navy reported yesterday that an oil tanker had caught fire and was immobilized after hitting a naval mine in the eastern Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian forces say they are keeping transit through the strait restricted and have warned that it will remain blocked until the United States accepts the seven conditions posed by Tehran to end the war.
Iranian demands include an end to the conflict on all fronts, including Lebanon, the unfreezing of its assets in third countries, the recognition of control of Hormuz by Iran and Oman, and the lifting of the naval encirclement and US sanctions on its oil.
Tehran and Washington are holding indirect negotiations mediated by Qatar to seek a solution to the conflict, while military tensions persist in the Strait of Hormuz and despite two rounds of US attacks against the southern Iranian island of Qeshm in the last week.
