Iran said three oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking naval mines over the past 24 hours while attempting to transit an unauthorised route in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the state broadcaster, which cited the Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The report did not identify the tankers or provide details about casualties.
The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the report. It came as tensions are high in the region over concerns that US-Israeli attacks on Iran could resume.
Iran’s navy said the tankers switched off their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings as they attempted to exit through a restricted route. It said the damaged vessels were abandoned off the southern coast of the waterway.
Iran insists that ships seeking to transit the strait communicate with its authorities and follow certain routes. The Guard says other routes are mined.
A British military monitor said Thursday that a vessel spotted another vessel on fire while transiting the strait. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said it did not know the status of the crew on the burning vessel or how badly it was damaged. It was not immediately clear whether that vessel was one of the three referenced by the Revolutionary Guard.
Tankers have continued to transport oil through the strait under US military protection despite the recent upsurge in attacks, according to Maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
