KABUL (Pajhwok): Three oil tankers caught fire after striking sea mines in the western part of the Strait of Hormuz, while a fourth vessel also hit a mine in the eastern part of the strait, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval forces have claimed.
Al Jazeera reported on Friday, citing the IRGC naval forces, that the vessels struck mines while attempting to pass through a restricted route in the Strait of Hormuz that Iran had declared unauthorised.
According to the Associated Press (AP), Iranian state media reported that the three oil tankers caught fire after striking mines while attempting to leave the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours.
The report said Iran’s naval forces had stated that the vessels had switched off their radars and positioning systems, ignored warnings and attempted to navigate through a restricted passage in the strait.
The AP report said the names and flags of the vessels had not been disclosed, and no information was available about possible casualties.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received a report of a vessel catching fire about 25 nautical miles north-east of Khasab, Oman.
According to the agency, the cause of the fire, the condition of the crew and the extent of the damage were still unknown.
It advised vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.
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