Shafaq News- Tehran

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said on Thursday that three oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking naval mines while attempting to use an “unauthorized route” south of the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours.

According to the IRGC, the tankers switched off their radar and navigation systems and attempted to cross through the southern route despite its warnings. They were left stranded off the strait's southern coast, the statement said, describing the route as "contaminated" with mines and blaming the ships' owners and crews.

The IRGC urged shipowners and crews to ignore the "illusions" of US Central Command (CENTCOM) on social media, and vowed a firm response to any US-backed provocation that disregards the rules it enforces in the strait.

A day earlier, CENTCOM said all internationally recognized shipping lanes in Hormuz had been cleared of mines by US forces and remained safe, dismissing Iranian reports of mine strikes as false.

Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported suspicious activity on Thursday about 9 nautical miles (17 kilometers) north of Khasab, Oman, where a ship's master saw another vessel on fire. The crew's condition was unknown, and no damage or environmental assessment was yet available, UKMTO said. It was unclear whether the incident was linked to the IRGC's claims.