Two oil tankers caught fire and exploded after striking naval mines while attempting to pass through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz with their navigation and automatic identification systems switched off, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has announced.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the IRGC Navy Public Relations Office said the vessels had been attempting to cross the strategic waterway covertly and in violation of maritime regulations.

“Two violating oil tankers, which were attempting to covertly transit through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz with their navigation and automatic identification systems switched off, struck naval mines, resulting in explosions and intense fires,” the statement said.

The IRGC Navy added that two other tankers planning to make a similar passage changed course after receiving warnings from its maritime traffic control center and turned back toward the Persian Gulf.

The developments underscore Iran's heightened vigilance over maritime movements through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically important energy corridors, through which a substantial share of global oil shipments passes.

Tehran has repeatedly stressed that vessels operating in the waterway must comply with maritime safety requirements and instructions issued by the relevant authorities. The IRGC Navy's statement presented the incidents as the consequence of attempts to evade monitoring and disregard navigation warnings.

The circumstances surrounding the explosions, including the identities of the tankers, the extent of the damage and whether there were casualties, were not immediately disclosed. The IRGC's account had not been independently verified. (ILKHA)