Iran Guards say two Hormuz tankers halted

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday that two oil tankers had been halted in waters south of the Strait of Hormuz after unspecified “incidents” while trying to pass through a route Tehran considers unauthorised.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said one tanker was in the eastern part of the strait and the other in the western part. It said the vessels had switched off navigation and positioning systems, ignored several radio warnings and were trying to exit through the unauthorised route with support from the US military.

The Guards did not identify the tankers, give their flags or report whether anyone was injured. They also did not specify the nature of the incidents.

The statement came a day after Iran's armed forces said at least four tankers had stopped in the area after hitting mines. Iranian forces have demanded that vessels use a designated route through the strait and coordinate their passage with Iran's armed forces.

Iran has restricted maritime traffic through the strategic waterway since the Middle East war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.