Anadolu reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said an explosion halted two supertankers carrying a combined cargo of more than 4 million barrels in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim Reuters could not immediately verify.
Anadolu said the navy’s statement was carried by ISNA. The navy accused the crews of ignoring warnings while using a southern passage it considers unauthorized. Iranian state media separately attributed the explosions to naval mines.
Reuters reported that Iranian state television said the army blamed mines for fires aboard two other tankers in the eastern strait on Thursday. The broadcast said crews had ignored warnings and disabled radar.
Washington Institute for Near East Policy data recorded at least 10 ships hit from Nov. 1-10. Its count for October was 37 attacks, the highest monthly total since the conflict began in late February. Anadolu reported that navigation through the strait is a key issue in U.S.-Iran negotiations.
The latest claims follow an IRGC Navy report of three tanker fires in Hormuz on Nov. 10.
