Three oil tankers explode and catch fire in Strait of Hormuz: IRGC Navy
TEHRAN – Three oil tankers exploded and caught fire after entering an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz and striking sea mines, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy said on Tuesday. In a statement, the IRGC Navy said the incidents occurred in the early hours of the day, with the explosions and subsequent fires illuminating the night so intensely that fishermen in the eastern part of the strait could see the glow.
The statement said the tankers had switched off their navigation and identification systems before attempting to transit the strategic waterway via unauthorized routes. They subsequently struck sea mines, exploded, and caught fire off the southern coast of the strait, it added. The IRGC Navy said Iranian regulations governing passage through the strait had been repeatedly communicated to all vessels through radio broadcasts and official notices.
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article never says who laid the mines. It also omits what other outlets reported about the same campaign: Iran has imposed restrictions on the strait and has attacked ships it says violate them. Without this, a reader believes the tankers ran into a neutral hazard through their own fault. The article's own line that vessels "would face similar incidents" points to Iranian action, but it never says so.
How we know
- Reuters reported“has attacked ships it says violate those restrictions”Iran's IRGC Navy says two tankers 'exploded' after hitting mines in Hormuz (opens in a new tab)
- Anadolu Agency (English) reported“The Navy warned tanker owners against attempting to cross restricted waters”Oil tanker catches fire after hitting naval mine east of Strait of Hormuz, says Iranian Navy (opens in a new tab)
It warned that vessels disregarding the regulations and cooperating with the US military in transiting unauthorized routes would face similar incidents. The statement concluded that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz should be assessed based on developments on the ground, rather than what it described as archival footage circulated on social media by the CENTCOM commander, a terrorist commander.
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