Iran Guards say two tankers halted after ‘incidents’ in Hormuz

TEHRAN: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Friday said two oil tankers had been halted after encountering unspecified “incidents” while attempting to transit what Tehran considers an unauthorised route in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Two offending oil tankers, one in the eastern part and the other in the western part of the Strait of Hormuz, which were attempting to pass through the unauthorised route, encountered incidents and were brought to a halt in the waters south of the strait,” the IRGC said in a statement.

The tankers had “switched off all their navigation and positioning systems and, with the support of the terrorist US military, were attempting to exit through the unauthorised route,” the statement added.

The Guards did not specify the nature of the incidents, which came a day after Iran’s armed forces said at least four tankers had stopped in the area after hitting mines.

They said Friday’s incidents occurred after the vessels received several radio warnings but disregarded them.

Iranian forces have demanded that vessels use a designated route through the strait and coordinate their passage with the country’s armed forces, labelling a southern corridor closer to Oman’s shores as unauthorised.

Iran has restricted maritime traffic through the strategic waterway since the Middle East war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The United States has in turn imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, further restricting Tehran’s ability to export oil and conduct trade.