Hormuz: Iran says four tankers are on fire

Iran's armed forces said Thursday that four tankers had caught fire in or east of the Strait of Hormuz, after earlier saying two vessels carrying more than four million barrels of oil were ablaze on an unauthorised route.

The Revolutionary Guards said the first two tankers were travelling on what Tehran calls a prohibited southern maritime route despite repeated warnings. They did not specify the nature of the accident, but said the tankers were immobilised after a violent explosion.

The Guards said the two supertankers were carrying a combined total of more than four million barrels of oil. They did not name the tankers or give their nationalities.

Later Thursday, Iran's army said two other tankers it deemed to be in violation east of the strait had caught fire after hitting a naval mine, according to a statement released by state television. That statement also did not name the vessels or give their nationalities.

Iran has restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since the Middle East war began in late February, saying ships must use routes approved by Tehran. The United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and has helped tankers travel through the strait, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil.

Iranian forces have announced several recent ship fires involving vessels they said were using off-limits routes. Tehran has often said ships struck mines, while the US military recently said all mines had been cleared from the strait.