Iran's Revolutionary Guard reports attacks on four oil tankers in the Gulf, with additional claims of vessels hitting naval mines.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy announced that four commercial vessels transferring oil from ship to ship were simultaneously targeted in the northern part of the Persian Gulf, resulting in fires on the ships. The Iranian administration claimed that three additional vessels struck naval mines west of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to a report by Reuters dated October 22, the Revolutionary Guards stated that the four vessels were using unauthorized routes as designated by Iran and were detected while conducting oil transfers.
In a statement relayed by Iranian state television IRIB, it was noted that the four vessels were hit simultaneously and fires broke out. No information was provided regarding the names of the ships, their flag states, or operators.
In addition to the announcement regarding the attack on the four vessels, the Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that three ships struck naval mines west of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iran's statement, the three ships were damaged and rendered immobile following the incidents that occurred on Wednesday night.
Associated Press, citing Iranian state television, reported that a total of seven tankers were reported damaged in connection with the attacks on the four vessels and the claim of three ships hitting mines.
However, independent verification of all these incidents has not yet been achieved.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps accused the US of encouraging vessels to pass through routes it claimed were mined.
Iranian officials argued that this situation has led to an increase in maritime accidents, warning that the scope for retaliation could be expanded if the US continues its activities in the region.
The statement indicated that potential retaliatory actions could also encompass American military bases in the region.
According to a report by Associated Press, there is currently no information regarding the names of the ships that Iran announced were targeted, which countries they belong to, or whether there were any casualties or injuries in the attacks.
Furthermore, maritime security publisher gCaptain highlighted in a report dated October 20 that some of the mine incidents previously announced by Iran could not be verified by independent maritime security organizations. Therefore, the statement regarding the seven vessels on October 22 is also considered as Iran's claim.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
