The Iranian military on Thursday claimed that four tankers had struck mines in or near the Strait of Hormuz, as the UK’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that at least one tanker was attacked in the area.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy first said in a statement that three tankers traveling on an “unauthorized route” struck mines and exploded south of the strait.
“The oil tankers had switched off all their radar and navigation systems and were attempting to leave via an unauthorized route south of the Strait of Hormuz, ignoring warnings from the IRGC Navy, when they hit naval mines and exploded,” the IRGC Navy said.
Later in the day, the Iranian Army claimed that another tanker struck mines. “A tanker that was illegally operating in a restricted and dangerous area east of the Strait of Hormuz was damaged and caught fire after striking naval mines, rendering it unable to move,” the Iranian Army said.
The UKMTO, which is operated by the British Royal Navy, said in one of its security updates that it had received a report of a tanker being struck by a projectile.
“A Company Security Officer has informed UKMTO that their tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile whilst completing an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz,” the UKMTO said in a post on X. “There are no reported injuries to the crew or environmental impact at this time.”
Earlier in the day, the UKMTO said that a dhow had caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz and that the crew of the small boat was safely evacuated. The British organization recently said it’s struggling to report on all incidents in or near the Strait of Hormuz because the “majority” of attacked vessels refuse to report to it.
