Iran Reports More Tanker Fires in Strait of Hormuz

Two oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday, as Iran continues to report a growing number of incidents with vessels trying to transit the Strait on routes unauthorized by the Islamic Republic. One of the oil tankers hit a naval mine while it was attempting to move south of the Strait. Another tanker caught fire as it was on its way out in the eastern part of the Strait, and a tugboat that had approached it to help also caught fire, according to Iran’s elite force. Separately, UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which is affiliated with the Royal Navy, said on Thursday that it had received a report of an incident 50 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar, in which a tanker has been struck by two unidentified projectiles. The status of the crew, damage assessment, and environmental impact are unconfirmed at present, UKMTO said early on Thursday.