Four Hormuz tankers hit mines and burn, Iran says

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday that four oil tankers were destroyed and still burning after striking naval mines while trying to pass through what Tehran calls a prohibited passage south of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, quoted by Iranian state TV, said two other non-compliant ships or vessels had also been halted. The Guards also said they had shot down a drone over the strait.

The statement came a day after President Donald Trump said the United States had launched strikes on Iran, following reports of a raid on Qeshm, the largest island in the strait.

Iran says it controls passage through Hormuz and has targeted vessels it says try to cross without authorisation since the war began. Tehran has said it is ready to reopen the strait only if Washington accepts a list of demands.

Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Islamic republic was ready for battle, while President Masoud Pezeshkian said his government was trying to resolve the crisis through dialogue and warned that no one would benefit if fighting resumed.