Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said two oil supertankers carrying more than 4 million barrels of oil combined caught fire after crossing what it described as an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz overnight.

In a statement, the IRGC Navy's public relations office said the vessels had crossed the strait's unauthorized southern route despite repeated warnings from its traffic control center that the passage was illegal and unsafe.

The statement said both supertankers were now burning following what it described as their reliance on the "plundering and aggressor" US military.

The IRGC Navy warned that any vessel operating in the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz that switches off its navigation systems and cooperates with the US military to cross the unauthorized southern route would face the same consequences.

The statement did not identify the vessels or provide further details about the extent of the damage or possible casualties. (ILKHA)