The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday that two "violating" oil tankers caught fire earlier in the day after hitting naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
The vessels, which had turned off their navigation, identification and tracking systems, were transiting the "unsafe and forbidden" region of the strait in disregard of the warnings, the navy said in statements on the army's website.
Following the explosions, two other tankers that had been attempting to transit the strait turned back into the Persian Gulf after receiving a warning from the IRGC navy.
In a social media post on Saturday, U.S. Central Command said that under U.S. protection, more than 1.7 billion barrels of crude oil have been shipped through the Strait of Hormuz by Gulf partners.
Iran has not yet responded to this statement.
Iran tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz since Feb. 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.
Iran says 2 ''violating'' oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines in Hormuz
Iran says 2 ''violating'' oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines in Hormuz
A ceremony was held on Friday in Australia's Port Kembla to commemorate the 88th anniversary of the Dalfram Dispute, during which Australian workers protested to support China's fight against Japanese aggression.
Representatives from all sectors observed a moment of silence for the victims of World War II and laid wreaths at the memorial during the ceremony at the historic suburb in Wollongong. On Nov. 15, 1938, Port Kembla witnessed one of the most resounding events in its history -- the Dalfram Dispute, where 180 courageous Australian workers refused to load pig iron onto the cargo steamer SS Dalfram, as they discovered that the raw materials would be used in the manufacture of weapons for use in Japan's invasion of China.
The dockworkers' strike, which lasted about 10 weeks, ultimately forced the Australian government to announce a change in its policy on the pig iron trade with Japan, ceasing exports of pig iron to Japan.
"When that vessel came into Port Kembla, all of the paperwork insinuated that the cargo was supposed to be heading to Singapore. So they had started loading the ship and the crew told them it was actually going to Japan. They said we're not loading up, but it'll come back at us and we'll come to the Chinese people in the forms of bullets and bombs. It's just not going to be us. We're not going to be complicit in this," said Garry Keane, President, Maritime Union of Australia Veterans.
From the dockworkers' refusal to load the ship 88 years ago to today's moment of silence and flower-laying, people commemorate this chapter of history and pass on a shared wish: to let friendship be handed down from generation to generation, and to ensure the tragedy of war is never repeated.
"Today, we gather here to commemorate this event. In fact, it is also to let the young people of both sides remember that we once fought side by side. Moreover, now, against the backdrop of the development of China-Australia friendship, the friendship between our two peoples is steadily deepening and bilateral relations are continually improving. Next, we should make greater and more contributions to world peace and to our four global initiatives through the cooperation of our two countries," said Wang Chunsheng, Acting Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney.
Ceremony held in Australia to commemorate 88th anniversary of Dalfram Dispute
