Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated in the past few hours amid multiple vessel interception and oil tanker explosions in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement on Saturday that it had stopped four "violating" vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz with U.S. support in the past few hours. The interception was carried out through a combined operation involving missiles and drones, according to the IRGC.
The IRGC Navy stressed that vessel owners must take seriously the warnings and statements issued by the Corps.
The IRGC also said that two oil tankers exploded and caught fire after passing through a mined route south of the Strait of Hormuz hours ago.
The IRGC Navy issued a warning that the Strait of Hormuz is now in an extremely dangerous state and has been completely closed due to malicious U.S. actions. It further stated that as long as U.S. aggression continues, the region will see no exports of fertilizer, nor even a single drop of oil and gas. The IRGC urged all vessels to avoid entering mined areas to protect property and, more importantly, ensure the safety of crew members.
On Friday local time, the U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces were strictly enforcing a naval blockade against Iran and maintaining a high state of alert.
According to the Central Command, since the blockade was reinstated on Tuesday, U.S. forces have forced four commercial vessels to change course, disabled one vessel, and boarded another for inspection over the past three days to ensure full compliance with the blockade regulations.
US-Iran tensions escalate amid vessel interceptions, explosions in Hormuz
