Iran Guards say 2 oil tankers hit by mines in Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that explosions rang out on two oil tankers after they struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz, where Tehran has restricted navigation.

Since war erupted with the United States in February, Tehran has insisted that vessels obtain its authorisation to cross the strait and has attacked ships that do not comply.

"A short while ago, two oil tankers that had switched off their radar and positioning systems and were secretly attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz through an unauthorised route exploded and caught fire after striking a naval mine," the Guards' navy said in a statement carried by the Iranian state broadcaster early on Saturday.

The statement did not provide the names or origins of the vessels but said one was a supertanker.

The United States, in response to Tehran's choking of the strategic trade route, has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and provides military support to tankers using the waterway.

In recent weeks, Iran's armed forces have reported several fires or explosions on board ships in the strait, often saying the vessels had struck mines.

On Friday, the Guards released footage of a large plume of smoke rising from a vessel it said was carrying liquefied gas and hit a mine in the south of the strait.

The US military, however, says it has cleared the main routes through the waterway of mines.