Two Oil Tankers Halt in Strait of Hormuz After Blasts, Iran’s Guards Claim

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy said two oil tankers passing through the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz stopped after a powerful explosion last night.

According to the Guards’ public relations department, both vessels were supertankers carrying more than 4 million barrels of crude oil between them.

The statement claimed both tankers ignored several warning instructions from Iranian authorities regarding passage through the strait, and took a route that Tehran considers unsafe and unauthorised.

Iran’s position is that vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz should follow the sea lanes designated by Tehran.

Iranian officials say some cargo ships and oil tankers are using alternative routes to avoid recent sanctions and regulations, which Tehran says have no legal standing.

However, Iranian officials have not yet said what caused the explosion, whether anyone was killed or injured, or how badly the ships were damaged.