Iran Guards say two Hormuz tankers turned back after fire

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Thursday that two oil tankers trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz with US support turned back after one of them caught fire.

In a statement, the Guards said the tankers had been “encouraged by American aircraft” and had attempted on Wednesday night to leave through what they called the unsafe southern route of the strait. They said both vessels turned back after a major fire broke out on one of them.

Iran has kept control of the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28. It has said ships using the waterway, which is crucial for energy trade, should travel through an Iran-designated route after requesting permission and paying service fees.

The Guards reiterated Thursday that the strait was “our territory” and said it “cannot be reopened” while what they called excessive US rhetoric, threats and interference in regional maritime movements continue.