Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported on 8 November that two oil tankers had caught fire after striking mines in or near the Strait of Hormuz. There is no independent confirmation of this information.
According to a statement by the IRGC’s naval forces, one vessel struck a mine in the eastern part of the strait, whilst the other struck one in the middle of the shipping lane. The Iranian military accused the crews of both tankers of switching off their navigation systems and using unauthorised routes. The names of the vessels, details of the crews and any possible casualties were not disclosed.
At the time of publication, no maritime authority had confirmed that these incidents had taken place.
On the same day, Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei, secretary of Iran’s Council for Determining Political Expediency, described the Strait of Hormuz as an important lever of influence for the country, directly linked to its national and financial security.
The IRGC’s statement came the day after the US military intercepted a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman. Washington linked this incident to the blockade of Iranian ports.
According to US Central Command, the naval blockade was first imposed on 13 April, suspended on 18 June and resumed on 14 July.
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital international shipping route through which a significant proportion of the world’s oil supplies passes. New reports of incidents are heightening tensions surrounding shipping in the region.
The original version of this article first appeared on Glob-News.com.