The key facts

  • Two tankers hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire — report by the IRGC press service
  • According to the IRGC, the ships were traveling along a prohibited route with the support of the American military
  • Iran had earlier conveyed, through Pakistan, a proposal to open the strait in exchange for lifting the blockade of Iranian ports

What happened

Two tankers hit mines and caught fire while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by the press service of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on its Telegram channel. According to the IRGC, one of the burning vessels is located east of the strait, and the other in its center.

The IRGC's version and the blockade context

The IRGC statedthat the ships had switched off their navigation systems and, with the support of the American military, attempted to leave the Strait of Hormuz via a prohibited route. The statement emphasizes that the strait is blocked and its status will not change until Tehran's seven conditions are met: an end to military operations against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iraq, the withdrawal of naval and air forces from the areas around the country, compensation for war damage, the lifting of sanctions, and other demands. Earlier, the IRGC had also reported three more tankers hitting mines in the strait.

Previous events

In late October, Gazeta.Ru reported, citing the IRGC, that Iran had conveyed to the US administration, through Pakistan, a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to the American blockade of Iranian ports. Earlier, however, the US had stated that the main routes through the strait had been cleared of mines — what happened to the tankers contradicts that assessment. It should be noted that the information about the mine strikes and their circumstances comes from the Iranian side; independent confirmation, as well as data on casualties or oil spills, is not available in the published reports.