TEHRAN, October 29. /TASS/. Three tankers struck mines and exploded in the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours, catching fire as they attempted to navigate an unauthorized southern route through the waterway, the public relations office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said.
"Over the past 24 hours, three tankers that violated the rules exploded and caught fire after hitting mines while sailing along the unauthorized southern route through the Strait of Hormuz. They were abandoned off the strait’s southern coast," the statement said.
According to the IRGC Navy, the vessels had switched off their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings as they attempted to leave the strait via the prohibited route.
The navy said the route was dangerous and that the vessels’ owners and crews bore responsibility for using it. It urged them not to be misled by what it called the "illusions" promoted by the US Central Command on social media.
Any provocative actions that disregard the rules for passage through the strait and are supported by the US military will be firmly suppressed, the IRGC Navy said.
