Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced that it struck four ships transporting oil from vessel to vessel in the northern Persian Gulf, in the Strait of Hormuz. The corps described the vessels as “violators” and claimed they were on fire.
According to the IRGC, three more ships hit mines overnight in the western part of the Strait of Hormuz. The corps claimed that the vessels had used routes not authorized by Iran, after which fires broke out on board, the ships were damaged, and they came to a halt.
The corps recalled that it had previously warned shipping companies, claiming that the US military was misleading them and encouraging them to transit the strait via unauthorized routes. According to the IRGC statement, such passages are leading to a daily increase in the number of maritime incidents.
The IRGC also stated that the Strait of Hormuz remains under the control of Iran’s naval forces.
Reports of incidents involving ships in the Strait of Hormuz highlight how sensitive navigation safety is in this area. When one side declares certain routes unauthorized, shipping faces not only physical risks but also the question of who sets the conditions for passage.
In this case, the information presented is based on the IRGC’s statement, and the article does not provide a complete picture of the circumstances surrounding the damage to the ships or the causes of the incidents. Therefore, the corps’ claims should be distinguished from independently verified facts. As developments around the Strait of Hormuz unfold, key questions include the conditions under which ships will be able to continue transiting the strait and whether disagreements between the parties will affect the safety of maritime traffic.
