IRGC reports fires on three oil tankers in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reported explosions and fires on three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the vessels of using an unauthorised shipping channel.

In a statement on Sunday, the IRGC said the three tankers caught fire after explosions while passing through what it described as an illegal route in the strategic waterway.

The force did not disclose the names of the vessels or their countries of origin. The incidents could not be independently verified.

The report came as the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a tanker caught fire near Oman's Khasab coast on Saturday. According to the agency, military authorities evacuated the vessel's crew to a safe location.

UKMTO also reported that another tanker was damaged by an unidentified projectile on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates' state media reported that 22 people had been rescued from a vessel on fire in the Gulf of Oman. Their condition was reported to be stable.

It was not immediately clear whether the incidents reported by the IRGC, UKMTO and UAE media were connected. The French news agency AFP said the separate reports could not be independently confirmed as the same incidents.

Since the war with Iran began in late February, Tehran has sharply restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, saying vessels must use routes approved by Iranian authorities.

In response, the United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and has been assisting tanker movements through the waterway, which carries around one-fifth of the world's oil supply.

The US military's Central Command said last month that American forces had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through the strait since the summer. It also claimed that all mines had recently been cleared from the waterway.

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