Iran says three tankers hit by mines in Hormuz on fire

Iran’s navy and Revolutionary Guards said three oil tankers caught fire after striking mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The reports underscore the risks to shipping in the strategic waterway, where Iranian authorities said the vessels were travelling through prohibited or unauthorised areas.

The Guards said two tankers in the south of the strait had switched off their tracking systems and were using an unauthorised route; one was described as a supertanker. Iran’s conventional navy reported a third tanker east of the strait had also disabled its tracking systems and was forced to stop. The statements gave no names or origins for the vessels, and the Guards had released footage of smoke from a vessel it said was carrying liquefied gas.