Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and army reported that five oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, according to local media. The incidents occurred as Tehran has severely restricted traffic through the strategic waterway since the start of the Iran war in late February.
The Revolutionary Guards told Fars news agency that a large oil tanker attempting to pass through the "illegal passageway" south of the Strait of Hormuz struck a mine and caught fire last night, coming to a halt. The Guards also stated that another supertanker was stopped by a massive fire while exiting the eastern Strait of Hormuz, and a tugboat that approached the vessel to put out the fire also caught fire.
The Iranian army, via the official IRNA news agency, reported that three additional tankers were hit by naval mines. The army stated that early this morning, a "violating oil tanker" navigating through an "unsafe area" east of the Strait of Hormuz struck a naval mine and caught fire. A subsequent army statement carried by IRNA said that at around noon today, two more oil tankers struck naval mines and caught fire in the "unsafe waters" east of the Strait of Hormuz.
Maritime officials have not confirmed these incidents. However, the British monitor UKMTO reported a tanker being struck by "two unidentified projectiles" around 90km (50 nautical miles) off the north coast of Qatar. That location is approximately 500km west of Hormuz in the center of the Gulf, and the report did not provide details on casualties or damage.
Fars also reported that the Guards navy’s electronic warfare unit took control of two LUCAS drones, which are US-developed Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack Systems.
The Strait of Hormuz normally carries about one-fifth of global oil consumption. In response to Iran's regular attacks on ships it accuses of transiting without authorization, the United States military has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and helped tankers travel the strait. Last month, the US military stated it had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil via Hormuz since the summer.
