Iran's IRGC claims mines struck tankers in Strait of Hormuz

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 01:32 · Archive

Iran's IRGC said it laid mines that struck two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, setting them ablaze.

Iran's IRGC said on Monday that two oil tankers struck mines it had laid in the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire. The IRGC stated in a statement that the tankers used what Iran unilaterally designates an unauthorised route through the strait's southern section near the Omani coast. The IRGC named neither vessel nor disclosed the precise location.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported receiving an account of "an incident between an oil tanker and military forces" on Monday, around 121 nautical miles east of the Omani city of Duqm, with no damage or casualties reported and no vessel identified. The IRGC also claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the strait on Monday night. A US official dismissed this claim as untrue.

Tehran has no recognised authority under international maritime law to restrict passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which is subject to the right of transit passage under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Iran's foreign ministry warned Washington it would retaliate against any strike, whilst an IRGC spokesperson threatened to target undersea internet cables in the Gulf in what outlets described as an escalation of tensions between Tehran and Washington.

How it is being reported

• Iran war live: IRGC vows invasion as defence doctrine turns ‘offensive’Iran's IRGC threatens to invade any country that attacks it under a new 'offensive and asymmetrical' doctrine.Al Jazeera · 22 Oct, 01:00
• IRGC mines set tankers ablaze as Tehran threatens expanded attacksIran’s foreign ministry further warned Washington it would retaliate against any strike, and an IRGC spokesperson threatened to target undersea internet cables in the Gulf in another escalation of the ongoing war of words between Tehran and Washington.Euronews · 20 Oct, 17:34

In this story: Iran · IRGC · United States · Strait of Hormuz · Oman

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