IRGC says two tankers caught fire after attempting ‘unauthorized’ Strait of Hormuz transit with tracking systems off

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said two oil tankers caught fire and were stopped after attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz through routes Tehran considers unauthorized.

The IRGC Navy said both vessels had switched off their navigation and tracking systems and were attempting to leave the strait with U.S. military support.

The Iranian account has not been independently verified, and the names, flags and operators of the two tankers were not immediately disclosed.

Iran has imposed its own restrictions on passage through the Strait of Hormuz during the war and has repeatedly accused commercial vessels of violating those rules. Shipping companies and foreign governments have challenged some of Tehran’s enforcement measures.

The latest claim comes amid a sharp increase in attacks on commercial shipping in and around the strait. Reuters reported that October has seen the highest number of confirmed and reported attacks on vessels since the current U.S.-Iran conflict began in February.

Separately, maritime security sources said a Panama-flagged tanker, Louise 1, was struck by two limpet mines attached by a small boat in the strait on Thursday. The crew was safe and the vessel later continued toward its next port. It was not immediately clear whether that incident was connected to the two tankers cited by the IRGC.