Iran's Revolutionary Guards say two oil tankers hit mines near Hormuz
The Revolutionary Guards accused both vessels of multiple violations, and the US military separately disabled a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.
Two oil tankers were on fire after striking naval mines in and near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said late Saturday that one tanker was hit east of the strait and the other inside it.
The force claimed both vessels had turned off their navigation and positioning systems and tried to use a route it had not authorized.
It accused the two ships of multiple violations.
Earlier on Saturday, the US military's Central Command, known as CENTCOM, said an American aircraft had disabled a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after repeated attempts to get past the US naval blockade of Iran.
CENTCOM identified the vessel as the Huda, which flies the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis, and said it had visited an Iranian port.
Tensions over navigation in the strait have continued since the United States and Israel launched their offensive against Iran in late February, and the dispute has not been resolved.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that links the Gulf with the open sea, and a large share of the world's seaborne oil passes through it.
Any mine strike in busy shipping lanes can threaten crews, cargo and the flow of oil, which is why the route has drawn close attention from governments and shipping companies.
