Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say 2 oil tankers hit mines, caught fire near Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said late Saturday that two oil tankers were burning after striking naval mines in and near the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC said the tankers switched off their navigation and positioning systems and attempted to use an unauthorized route. It accused both vessels of multiple violations, saying one was hit east of the strait and the other inside it. Earlier on Saturday, the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said an American aircraft disabled a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after repeated attempts to breach the US naval blockade of Iran.

CENTCOM identified the vessel as the St. Kitts-flagged Huda and said it had visited an Iranian port. Tensions over navigation in the strait have continued since the US and Israeli offensive against Iran that began in late February and has yet to be settled.