Nov 14 (Reuters) - Iran's navy said three oil tankers caught fire on Saturday after hitting naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported. One tanker hit a naval mine in the eastern Strait of Hormuz on Saturday morning, while two others struck mines later in the day. "Two violating tankers ... were attempting to slip through a prohibited route in the Strait of Hormuz when they hit naval mines, exploded, and burst into flames," Iran's IRNA news agency quoted the Revolutionary Guards Navy as saying about the evening incident.
Reuters could not immediately verify the reports. Iran has imposed restrictions on vessels seeking to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and has attacked ships it says violated those restrictions, as it seeks to assert control over the strategic waterway and exert pressure on the US. (Reporting by Yasmine Ghania; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Sanjeev Miglani)
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article never says that Iran's Hormuz restrictions began after the US-Israeli military offensive against Iran on 28 February, or that the US is blockading Iranian ports. Without this, the reader sees only Iranian restrictions aimed at the US and no US or Israeli action behind them.
Al-Monitor runs a short Reuters wire that attributes the tanker mine reports to Iran's navy and says Reuters could not verify them. Its closing background line states Iran's motive for its Hormuz restrictions as fact. It also leaves out that those restrictions followed the US-Israeli attack on Iran and run alongside a US blockade of Iranian ports, which the outlet reported the same day.
States one side's claim as fact
Minor
“as it seeks to assert control over the strategic waterway and exert pressure on the US”
Why this matters
In its own voice the article states why Iran's government imposes the Hormuz restrictions: "to assert control" and "exert pressure on the US". No source is given for this motive.
The impression it gives
A reader takes it as established that Iran's restrictions are a pressure tactic Iran started against the US.
The context
This is the outlet's reading of a government's aims, not an attributed claim. Iran's navy gives a different stated reason, enforcing a restricted zone against vessels that disable their tracking. The outlet's own same-day report places the restrictions after the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran and alongside a US blockade of Iranian ports.
The article never says that Iran's Hormuz restrictions began after the US-Israeli military offensive against Iran on 28 February, or that the US is blockading Iranian ports. Without this, the reader sees only Iranian restrictions aimed at the US and no US or Israeli action behind them.