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Two Crude Oil Tankers Catch Fire After Striking Mines in the Strait of Hormuz
Just the facts
According to statements carried by Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency, both vessels were each carrying approximately two million barrels of crude oil when they struck naval mines in the waterway. Iranian military representatives stated that the two tankers had shut off their radar and positioning equipment while navigating along an unauthorized transit corridor. Rear Admiral Ali Azmaei, the naval commander for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, had previously warned that vessels navigating without active tracking systems would be treated as hostile. Iranian authorities reported that one vessel attempted to transit with United States naval support before catching fire, while the second vessel was immobilized after being engulfed in flames.
Why this is news
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on Saturday that two commercial oil tankers caught fire after detonating naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.