Tehran: Iran’s Navy on Saturday warned tankers against entering a restricted maritime zone east of the Strait of Hormuz after an oil tanker reportedly caught fire and became immobilised after striking a naval mine while navigating the prohibited area despite earlier warnings.
According to Iran’s state news agency ISNA, the Navy said the vessel had switched off its tracking and identification systems while sailing through what it described as an unsafe and restricted maritime zone.
In a statement on Saturday, the Navy warned that any tanker entering the prohibited area could face a similar fate. It accused vessel owners of risking their assets by relying on assurances from US President Donald Trump.
“It is regrettable that tanker owners, without learning from the fate of other rogue vessels, trusting the nonsense of the criminal US president, are sending their capital to the mine war and throwing it into the fire,” the Navy’s public relations department said, as reported by ISNA.
The latest incident came hours after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy claimed that two oil tankers attempting to cross the southern Strait of Hormuz without authorisation had exploded and caught fire after hitting naval mines.
According to a statement carried by Iranian state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the vessels had allegedly switched off their radar and Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) to avoid detection while navigating a prohibited route.
The IRGC Navy also warned shipping companies against crossing the strategic waterway without coordinating with its Traffic Control Centre and following arrangements established by Iranian authorities.
The developments come amid escalating tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as a major flashpoint in the ongoing conflict.
Iran imposed restrictions on maritime movement through the waterway following the US-Israeli military campaign against the country, which began on February 28. Tehran has maintained that vessels must obtain authorisation from Iranian authorities for safe passage.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important international shipping route through which a substantial share of the world’s oil supply is transported.
The latest claims also follow Iran’s assertion that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force destroyed a US early-warning radar installation in Bahrain in retaliation for an alleged American attack on telecommunications infrastructure in Iran’s Sirik region.
However, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) rejected the claim, stating that two Iranian attack drones targeting Bahrain had been intercepted without causing injuries or damage.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said, “The IRGC launched two one-way attack drones toward Bahrain, and both were shot down by US forces. There were no injuries or damage.”
