Three oil tankers blown up in the Strait of Hormuz

Three oil tankers blown up in the Strait of Hormuz

On November 8, the press service of the naval forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that three tankers carrying oil had been blown up and engulfed in a major fire in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the IRGC's wording, the vessels were traveling along an 'unauthorized route' and were described as 'violators' — the report is cited by Gazeta.Ru with reference to the Iranian television channel IRIB.

Second incident in a matter of days

This is no longer an isolated case: on November 6, according to the IRGC, two tankers that tried to pass through the strait in violation of the rules established by Tehran struck mines and caught fire; one of them was located to the east of the strait, the other in its center. Thus, at least five vessels have been blown up in the area over three days, if the Iranian military's reports are taken at face value.

Context of the confrontation

Gazeta.Ru describes the situation as a bitter confrontation between Iran and the United States over shipping: Tehran has set its own rules for tanker passage and, according to the outlet, uses mines against violating vessels, while the United States, in response, is applying direct military control measures in the waters of the Middle East, including the Gulf of Oman, in order to deprive Iran of the ability to export crude oil. Earlier, the IRGC also spoke of US plans to destroy the Iranian economy. The available reports do not say anything about casualties, the ownership of the vessels, or the extent of the damage.