Iran says two more tankers are on fire in the Strait of Ormuz

Deight new oil tankers are on fire in the Strait of Ormuz, after fighting in naval mines following “unauthorized routes” by Tehran, the Iranian official agency Irna said today.

The same agency reported “sounds similar to explosions” this morning on the island of Qeshm, recently the target of an attack by the United States, as well as in Sirik, Jask and Bandar Abbas, in the south of the country, without commenting on the causes of these detonations.

According to Irna, “two oil tankers who broke the regulations — one in the eastern part of the Strait of Ormuz and the other in the strait itself — burned down and are now completely devastated by intense flames, after colliding with naval mines while attempting to cross by unauthorized routes.”.

The agency, which does not specify the name or flag of the ships, states that the two tankers had disabled navigation and positioning systems.

Tehran has repeatedly made allegations of this kind in recent weeks, while Washington ensures, on the contrary, that it has largely depleted this crucial maritime route.

Iran claims control of the Strait of Ormuz, through which one-fifth of world hydrocarbons were transiting before the war triggered by Israeli-American attacks on Tehran in late February. And it regularly targets ships that venture there without authorization along the coast of Oman.

Washington imposes a blockade on Iranian ports and oil escorts along this route, while negotiations between the two countries are at a standstill.