The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy announced that three oil tankers exploded and caught fire after entering an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz and striking sea mines.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the IRGC Navy said the incidents occurred from the early hours of the day, adding that the explosions and subsequent fires were so intense that fishermen in the eastern part of the strait experienced a brightly lit night.
The statement said the oil tankers had switched off their navigation and identification systems and attempted to cross the strategic waterway through unauthorized routes. They subsequently struck sea mines, exploded and were left burning off the southern shores of the Strait of Hormuz, it added.
The IRGC Navy said Iranian regulations governing passage through the strait have repeatedly been communicated to all vessels through radio broadcasts and official notices.
It warned that vessels disregarding the regulations and cooperating with the US aggressor military to transit unauthorized routes would face similar incidents.
The statement concluded by saying that the actual situation in the Strait of Hormuz is what could be seen on the ground, rather than the picture presented on social media by the CENTCOM commander, whom it described as a terrorist commander, using archival footage.
