Iran says 4 oil tankers destroyed by sea mines in Strait of Hormuz

Iranian media reported on Wednesday that four oil tankers were destroyed after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Press TV quoted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as saying the vessels had attempted to use a route through the strategically important waterway without obtaining Tehran’s approval.

Iran has recently stepped up its attacks on ships, particularly along a southern route through the strait.

Last Monday, US media reported that the United States had carried out defensive strikes against several Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US news website Axios quoted a US official as saying that an American military aircraft had carried out a self-defence strike, destroying a missile launcher on Qeshm Island.

The official added that the IRGC had fired a missile from Qeshm Island towards a US fighter jet in the Strait of Hormuz the previous day.

CNN also quoted a US official as saying that the US military had carried out limited strikes on the Iranian island of Qeshm as a defensive measure.

Earlier, Iran’s official news agency (IRNA) reported hearing several explosions on Qeshm Island, but there was no official Iranian confirmation of their source or cause.