In a statement on its official information portal, the IRGC announced that the three rough vessels struck naval mines and engulfed in flames, with smoke blanketing the sky over the Strait of Hormuz.
These tankers had deactivated their navigation and identification systems, while traversing unauthorized paths in the strategic strait under malicious actions and instigation by "smuggling and aggressor" US military.
The IRGC Navy emphasized that Iranian regulations governing the Strait of Hormuz have been repeatedly communicated to all vessels to follow authorized routes in coordination with the Persian Gulf Strait Authority to avoid any untoward incident.
Any vessel defying these rules—or colluding with the US military to navigate through unauthorized routes in the Strait—will inevitably face a similar fate, the statement warned.
