Three oil tankers caught fire on Saturday after striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s navy said, according to Iranian state media. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the reports.
Sequence of incidents
One tanker hit a mine on Saturday morning in the eastern part of the strait.
The Revolutionary Guards Navy said, via IRNA, that two of the tankers had been attempting to pass through a route in the strait that Iran has placed off limits when they hit the mines, caught fire and exploded.
A contested waterway
Iran has restricted passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and has struck ships it accuses of breaching those limits. Tehran has been seeking to assert control over the waterway, a move that has also served to put pressure on the United States.
The claims have not been independently confirmed.
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Source: Iran's navy
