Iran Guards claim two oil tankers hit mines, explode in Hormuz Strait; US denies

Iran's Revolutionary Guards asserted on Saturday that two oil tankers detonated after striking mines in a minefield south of the Strait of Hormuz. The Guards' statement, published by state news agency IRNA, did not identify the vessels but warned sailors against being deceived by "deceptive American intelligence agencies."

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An hour ago, two oil tankers, which were trying to pass through the minefield south of the Strait of Hormuz by deceptive American intelligence agencies, exploded and caught fire.

However, the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) swiftly refuted the claim. "Like most IRGC claims, this is false," CENTCOM stated on X.

In a separate announcement, the Guards declared they had "stopped" four ships attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. They alleged these vessels, "with the support of the terrorist US army," were trying to transit the vital waterway and were halted through a "combined missile and drone operation."

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Like most IRGC claims, this is false.

Iran has recently intensified its efforts to control the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route. The country has been directing tankers and cargo ships to use channels closer to its coastline, avoiding the southern corridors that the United States aims to protect. In response to Iran's actions, the US has reinstated a navy blockade against Iranian ports and is conducting airstrikes within Iran aimed at diminishing Tehran's capacity to monitor and threaten shipping in the strait.

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In the past hours, four violating ships with the support of the terrorist US army were trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and all four ships were stopped in place during a combined missile and drone operation.