Iran says three tankers caught fire after mine strikes in Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said three oil tankers caught fire after striking naval mines while attempting to use an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz, but the claim has not been independently confirmed. The Guards said the incidents occurred over the preceding 24 hours along a southern route it considers restricted. In a statement carried by Iranian state media, it said the tankers had switched off their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings from the Guards’ navy. Iranian forces said the vessels were abandoned near the southern shores of the strait. Their identities, flags and the condition of any crews were not established in the reports. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency separately said it had received a report of a vessel on fire while transiting the strait. The report came from the master of another ship. UKMTO did not identify the burning vessel or establish the cause, and it was not clear whether it was one of the tankers described by Iran. The agency also did not provide information about casualties. Iran’s army later reported a separate fire involving another tanker east of the strait, saying it had struck mines in...