Iran’s naval forces reported tanker fires near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Nov. 14, while U.S. Central Command disputed claims that commercial vessels had struck mines.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said two tankers struck mines south of the strait, exploded and caught fire. It said the vessels used a route Iran had not authorized and had switched off their radar and positioning systems. The IRGC Navy described one as a supertanker but did not identify either vessel or provide its origin.
Iran’s regular navy separately said one tanker struck a mine in a restricted area east of the strait early Saturday, then caught fire and was disabled. The navy said the vessel’s tracking and identification systems were off and that it had ignored warnings.
Anadolu Agency reported a two-tanker count for the eastern incident; Tasnim’s account of the regular navy’s statement described one. The accounts do not resolve the discrepancy.
U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces had cleared all internationally recognized primary transit routes through the Strait of Hormuz of sea mines and that the routes remained clear. It also rejected Iranian-media claims that commercial vessels were hitting mines.
The incidents and the claimed mine strikes have not been independently confirmed, and the reports do not establish what caused the fires. Iran’s regular navy warned tanker owners that sending ships into areas it described as minefields could put their investments at risk; the statement reported no financial losses.
EconoTimes previously covered Iran’s Guards’ claim that mines destroyed four tankers south of Hormuz.
