Iran reports explosions on four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz — Asharq Al-Awsat

Iranian military officials said explosions occurred on four oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the Iranian side claims that the vessels ignored warnings and entered areas that Iran considers closed to navigation.

Statements by the Iranian military

The naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that two supertankers were disabled as a result of explosions on Wednesday. According to their version, the crews ignored warnings about using an unauthorized route. Iranian state media reported that the vessels exploded after striking naval mines and showed video that they described as footage of the incidents.

Later, the Iranian army reported two more tankers which, according to its information, struck mines in the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday afternoon. Iranian state television said the vessels had turned off their radars, entered a restricted area, and then caught fire. Reuters could not independently verify the Iranian side's version.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Report of a fire aboard a vessel

On Thursday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations service (UKMTO) reported that an unidentified projectile struck a vessel the previous day approximately 14 nautical miles northwest of the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE as it was leaving the strait. The impact set the engine room on fire. The crew was evacuated, and efforts were made to extinguish the fire.

UKMTO also reported in several previous cases that vessels were hit by unidentified projectiles. According to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, at least ten vessels were hit in the first ten days of November, while 37 attacks were recorded in October — the highest monthly number since the conflict began in late February.