IRGC: Four oil tankers destroyed after hitting mines south of the Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said four oil tankers attempting to pass through a prohibited passage hit naval mines and were still burning, and that two other vessels had been detained.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on 4 November that four oil tankers attempting to pass through the prohibited passage south of the Strait of Hormuz were destroyed after hitting naval mines.
The Corps' statement described the tankers as “non-compliant” vessels and said they were still burning. According to the statement, two other non-compliant vessels were detained. The Guards also said they had shot down a drone over the strait.
No information was given on the tankers' names, flags, cargoes or whether there were casualties among their crews. The Corps' statement has not yet been independently confirmed.
The IRGC had repeatedly issued statements in October about tankers hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz — on 12, 17, 19 and 21 October. On 3 November, the Corps' Navy said three oil tankers that had tried to cross the strait illegally were on fire. US Central Command (CENTCOM) had rejected the claims of tankers hitting mines in earlier statements.
Iran says it controls the Strait of Hormuz and targets vessels crossing without its authorisation. Tehran has declared that the strait will reopen only after Washington lifts oil sanctions, ends the naval blockade of Iranian ports and releases frozen funds.
International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said there are about 6,000 seafarers in the region and that 350–400 ships remain there. The organisation recorded nearly 30 attacks on ships in October. The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, is one of the most important sea routes for world oil trade.
