Iran says four tankers hit mines near the Strait of Hormuz
Iran says four tankers caught fire after they hit mines near the Strait of Hormuz, CNBC and AFP report. The ships were not named, and it was not clear when the blasts took place. The claim came a day after the US military said it had cleared mines from the main routes through the strait.
Iran says four tankers caught fire after they hit mines near the Strait of Hormuz, CNBC and AFP report. The ships were not named. It was not clear when the blasts took place or which flags the ships flew, AFP reports.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said three tankers caught fire after they struck mines on what the force called an "unauthorized southern route" near the coast of Oman, the outlets report. Iran's army said a fourth tanker burned east of the strait. The Guards said the first three ships had turned off their radar and ignored warnings, AFP reports.
The claims came a day after the US military said it had cleared mines from the main routes through the strait, the outlets report. "Prove the claim that the Strait of Hormuz has been cleared of mines with independent evidence, not a statement," Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi said, CNBC reports.
In a separate case, a UK maritime agency said a small boat fixed two bombs to a tanker about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, CNBC reports. The blasts set off a fire in the engine room and disabled the ship. The crew was safe, the agency said.
The strait carried about a fifth of the world's energy supplies before the war began in late February, CNBC reports. Traffic has since dropped to fewer than 10 ships a day, the outlet reports. Yemen's Houthis also claimed strikes on airports and oil sites in Saudi Arabia, CNBC reports. Saudi officials said they shot down a Houthi drone headed toward Mecca.
What we know: Iran says four tankers hit mines and caught fire near the strait.
What we don't: Which ships were hit, when it happened and whether Iran's account is true.
Where outlets agree CNBC and AFP report Iran says four tankers caught fire after hitting mines near the Strait of Hormuz.
Where they differ Iran says the tankers hit mines, while the US military says it has cleared mines from the main routes, and neither account has been independently checked.