In brief
Iran’s navy says two oil tankers that entered forbidden waters hit naval mines and caught fire. One tanker was east of the Strait of Hormuz and the other was inside the strait. The incidents follow Iran’s tightening of controls on vessels linked to Israel and the United States after joint strikes earlier this year.
Iran’s navy said on Saturday that two oil tankers—both described as “violating”—caught fire after striking naval mines east of the Strait of Hormuz and inside the strait itself. The ships had disabled their navigation systems and were transiting unauthorized areas, the navy said on its website.
The first tanker was east of the strait in what Iran calls a forbidden and unsafe region. The second tanker was inside the strait, where it also struck a mine and ignited.
Iran tightened its control over the waterway on Feb. 28, barring safe passage for vessels linked to Israel and the United States following joint strikes on Iranian territory. The navy warned that vessels ignoring warnings and entering forbidden areas would face the same fate as those that were hit.
The incident follows reports that a sailor was killed in the Gulf after a tanker caught fire. The navy’s statement did not give details about casualties.
Iran’s move is part of a broader effort to assert sovereignty over the strategic waterway and to punish vessels seen as hostile to the country, according to the navy’s statement.
