Iran Says Two Tankers Hit Mines in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two oil tankers caught fire after striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming each vessel carried about two million barrels of crude. The reported incidents have not been independently verified, and the ships’ identities and cargo origins were not immediately known. Iran’s official IRNA news agency relayed the IRGC’s account that one tanker’s mine strike caused an explosion and fire, while the second vessel was engulfed in flames. The IRGC also alleged that both ships had switched off navigation and radar systems and tried to use a route Iran had not authorized. It claimed one tanker attempted the crossing with U.S. support and the other became immobilized. Those details, like the reported fires and cargo amounts, remain claims attributed to Iranian authorities. The reports come amid restrictions on shipping through the strait, which Iran imposed after the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began in late February. Iranian authorities have demanded that vessels obtain permission before transiting. Before the conflict, the waterway carried about one-fifth of global oil consumption, making reduced traffic a concern for energy...