Iran reports two tankers on fire after hitting mines near the Strait of Hormuz

What happened

Two oil tankers caught fire on Thursday after striking naval mines in restricted waters east of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian army said, as reported by the state broadcaster IRIB (Anadolu). A statement from the army's public relations department said that the vessels entered the prohibited and unsafe zone in the afternoon, despite warnings, after reportedly switching off their radar systems.

Assigned responsibility and information gaps

The Iranian army assigned primary responsibility for the incident to US President Donald Trump, and also accused the vessels' owners of relying on what the statement described as misleading statements from Washington. At the same time, the statement did not name the tankers, their flags, or the extent of the damage, and there was no independent confirmation of the incident at the time of publication. The report comes against the backdrop of shipping disruptions in the strait that have continued since February 28, linked to the US and Israeli military operation against Iran that began that day: Iranian forces have previously reported similar incidents involving commercial vessels in restricted waters, and questions of maritime access and a US naval blockade remain central to diplomatic contacts between Tehran and Washington.