Revolutionary Guard of Iran says two tankers burned down

A Revolutionary Guard, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said today that two oil tankers burned down after hitting mines in the Strait of Ormuz, involved in the conflict between Tehran and Washington.

“ Two tankers, which had disabled their radar and positioning systems and tried to secretly cross the Strait of Ormuz by an unauthorized route, exploded and burned after reaching a naval mine during the night,” the Guard said, in a statement published on the Telegram message platform.

Iran claims control of this strategic maritime route, through which one-fifth of world hydrocarbons moved before the war triggered at the end of February by attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran.

Tehran regularly attacks vessels attempting to transit on site without authorisation. In response, the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and has escorted tankers along the coast of Oman.

In recent weeks, the Iranian armed forces have frequently reported fires or explosions on board ships that hit mines in the strait, while Washington claims to have largely removed mines in this maritime passage.

On Friday, the Revolutionary Guard released images, transmitted by the state media, which, according to them, show a ship “carrying natural gas” in flames after having struck a mine south of the Strait of Ormuz.

On Friday morning, the Guard stated that they attacked an American early warning radar system in Bahrain. Neither Bahrain nor the United States confirmed the attack.

Also on Friday, the UN revealed that October recorded the largest monthly number of incidents against commercial navigation since the start of the Middle East war and warned of daily reports of new attacks.

The data was released to the UN Security Council by the Deputy Secretary-General of the Political Affairs and Peace Consolidation Departments, Khaled Khiari, at a meeting convened by Bahrain to discuss the situation in the Gulf region and its implications for international peace and security.

“ New reports of maritime incidents appear every day. Commercial vessels are subjected to different types of attacks. Many commercial vessels and their crews have been held in the Persian Gulf for months. The restrictions on shipping imposed by the parties further increase uncertainty,” Khiari said.

“On November 11, the International Maritime Organization recorded 134 confirmed incidents in the Strait of Ormuz and the wider maritime area of the Middle East,” Khiari added, stressing that 25 sailors died and “many others were injured or still missing.”.

The UN representative reiterated the warnings made by Secretary-General António Guterres that continued tensions in the Strait of Ormuz and surrounding areas pose serious risks to regional stability and the global economy.