Iran Says Two Oil Tankers Abandon Attempt To Transit Hormuz

Two oil tankers that attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz with U.S. support via the southern shipping lane near Oman turned back after one of them caught fire, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday, as the war in the Middle East showed no signs of easing.

“Last night, two oil tankers, encouraged by American aircraft, attempted to leave through the unsafe southern route of the Strait of Hormuz,” the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by AFP.

“After a major fire broke out on one of them, both vessels quickly turned back,” the statement said.

The southern shipping lane along Oman’s coast is believed to be protected by the United States and has been described by Iran as “unsafe.”

Since the collapse of the ceasefire, Iran has struck vessels transiting the southern lane near Oman.

As a result, many ships, including oil tankers, attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz have done so in so-called “dark mode,” with their transponders switched off to avoid detection.

Tanker operators have largely suspended attempts to transit the Strait since hostilities resumed and Iran restarted attacks on and harassment of vessels in the waterway.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had carried out a major wave of strikes against IRGC targets in Iran late on Wednesday in response to what it described as attempted Iranian missile attacks on U.S. forces on Tuesday.

The IRGC said on Thursday: “The Strait of Hormuz cannot be reopened as long as the bluster and threats of U.S. officials and their interference in maritime movements in the region continue.”

“The Strait of Hormuz is our territory, and the IRGC Navy firmly controls it,” the statement added, as the conflict in the Middle East threatened to escalate further after the United States and Saudi Arabia carried out strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

As tensions in the region persisted, Brent crude rose above $90 a barrel early on Thursday. The international benchmark was up about 1.5% at more than $92 a barrel during early European trading.