Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has reported that a large oil tanker caught fire and was disabled after striking two naval mines while transiting the southern approaches to the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC described the vessel as a “violating” ship that had attempted to traverse an unauthorized route south of the strategic waterway. The twin explosions ignited massive blazes, bringing the tanker to a dead stop in the water.
The IRGC Navy issued a stark warning, stating that any vessels disregarding its declared security protocols for navigating the Strait would meet the same outcome, and emphasized that adherence to its maritime regulations is “obligatory.”
In a separate development, Iranian media, citing IRGC sources, also claimed that a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone was struck and crashed into the sea while operating over the Strait of Hormuz.
