3 oil tankers catch fire after mine blasts in Strait of Hormuz
Why it matters: The reported attacks deepen Iran's push to control the waterway and could threaten a critical global oil shipping route.
Three oil tankers caught fire Saturday after striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state media and the Revolutionary Guards Navy. Iranian reports said one tanker hit a mine in the eastern part of the strait in the morning, and two more struck mines later the same day. IRNA quoted the Guards Navy as saying the two later vessels were using a prohibited route when they exploded and burned. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the reports. Iran has tightened restrictions on ships passing through the strategic channel and has previously attacked vessels it said broke those rules, part of a broader effort to assert control over the chokepoint and pressure the United States.