&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Iran says 2 oil tankers hit mines, catch fire near Hormuz")
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Saturday (July 18) that two oil tankers exploded and caught fire after entering what it described as a mined area south of the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions in the Gulf continued to escalate.
According to statements carried by several Iranian state media outlets, the IRGC Navy said the vessels entered the area after being "misled" by US intelligence agencies. The claims could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate confirmation from international maritime authorities or the countries linked to the vessels.
In a statement, the IRGC said the two tankers "exploded and caught fire" after attempting to pass through the minefield.
"An hour ago, two oil tankers, which were trying to pass through the minefield south of the Strait of Hormuz by deceptive American intelligence agencies, exploded and caught fire," the statement said. Iran's state broadcaster IRIB reported that the vessels had ignored warnings issued by the Iranian Navy before entering the route, which it said resulted in the explosions and large fires.
The IRGC repeated its accusation that the ships had been deceived by the United States.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
"Earlier today, two oil tankers, which were deceived by US intelligence agencies into attempting to pass through a minefield in the southern Strait of Hormuz, exploded and caught fire," the force said. The IRGC also declared that the Strait of Hormuz remained "extremely unsafe" and effectively closed while US military operations against Iran continued.
"The IRGC Navy declares with certainty that the Strait of Hormuz is extremely unsafe and completely closed due to the crimes of the US child-killing army, and until the aggressions of the criminal America end, it is impossible to export any chemical fertilizers or even a single drop of oil and gas from this region," the statement said.
There was no immediate response from the United States to the allegations. International maritime authorities have also not confirmed the reported explosions or the status of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, with a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passing through the narrow waterway. Any disruption to traffic in the area is closely watched by global energy markets and shipping companies.
