Iran's Revolutionary Guard Claims Two Oil Tankers Exploded in Hormuz Strait

Two oil tankers have reportedly exploded and been disabled after attempting to navigate an unsafe southern route through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement from Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The Guard suggested that U.S. military forces encouraged the vessels to use this perilous passage.

The statement, released Monday, did not provide details on the names or nationalities of the vessels, nor did it specify the number of crew members or report any casualties. The Iranian assertion comes after Iran claimed Sunday that oil tankers had exploded and caught fire in a mine-laden area of the strait. The U.S. has refuted these claims.

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In line with most of the Revolutionary Guard's claims, this is not true.

"In line with most of the Revolutionary Guard's claims, this is not true," stated the U.S. Central Command for the Middle East. The Revolutionary Guard warned that the waters could remain unsafe as long as "American wrongdoings in the region continue." They asserted that this route would not be safe for transporting chemical fertilizer products, oil, or gas.

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So long as American wrongdoings in the region continue, this route will not be safe for the transport of chemical fertilizer products – nor a single drop of oil and gas.