DID Press: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says two oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire after attempting to navigate an unauthorised, mined route through the Strait of Hormuz. The force also announced that it had taken control of two US-made Lucas drones.
The IRGC’s public relations office said the two oil tankers and the tugboat caught fire in two separate incidents in the Strait of Hormuz last night.
According to the statement, a large oil tanker was damaged by a mine and brought to a halt while attempting to pass through an unauthorised channel south of the strait.
Meanwhile, another supertanker reportedly caught fire extensively while leaving the route in the eastern part of the strait. A tugboat that approached the vessel to help contain the fire also caught fire, the statement said.
The IRGC further announced that its Navy’s electronic warfare forces had taken control of two Lucas-type drones and landed them intact.
In the statement, the IRGC accused the United States of encouraging vessels to navigate through the mined route and warned that attempts to cross the Strait of Hormuz without authorisation would lead to further financial and political losses.