2 supertankers burn in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran route
IRGC said the two ships carried more than 4 million barrels of oil, while the U.S. has not confirmed alleged fighter jet escort.
Two oil tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after passing through a shipping lane banned by Iran on Tuesday (10/11). Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, said one supertanker exploded after striking a sea mine, while the second suffered an unspecified incident before sinking and being engulfed by flames. In an update on Thursday (12/11), the IRGC said the two ships were carrying a combined total of more than 4 million barrels of oil. Iran also accused the second ship of being escorted by U.S. fighter jets and said both vessels had turned off navigation and identification systems before sailing. Tehran did not disclose the ships' identities, flags, operators or any possible casualties. The incident came as Iran tightened commercial traffic in the strait amid its continuing confrontation with the United States.