Fresh maritime incidents have been reported in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz amid mounting threats and stern warnings exchanged between Iran and the United States.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced in a statement that four vessels were struck simultaneously in the northern Persian Gulf, catching fire as a result. According to the IRGC, the ships were navigating along an illegal route and were intercepted during an off-the-books ship-to-ship oil transfer in northern gulf waters.
Concurrently, the Iranian military reported that three additional vessels struck sea mines near the strategic Strait of Hormuz overnight.
Iranian officials accused the United States of facilitating the passage of ships through mined waterways, alleging that Washington's actions are deliberate attempts to fuel maritime friction in the region.