The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy says 11 different oil tankers violating passage regulations in the Strait of Hormuz have caught fire or sunk over the past nine days.
In a post on its X account on Monday, the IRGC Navy said the incidents occurred during the nine-day period beginning on October 25, the date of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Brad Cooper’s high-profile visit to the strategic waterway.
It added that some of the vessels caught fire, while others sank to the seabed.
In addition, CENTCOM revealed on Saturday that 144 vessels have been redirected in Hormuz since the start of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Tensions between Iran and the United States have continued to escalate over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints.
Since the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran on February 28, Tehran has imposed strict regulations on the Strait, requiring all vessels to coordinate with Iranian naval authorities and obtain permission before transiting.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its complete control, with the IRGC Navy and the Army Navy jointly managing security in the region.
Officials have warned that ships that try to avoid detection by turning off their systems, or that enter unauthorized routes, do so at their own risk and expose themselves to the defensive measures in place to protect the Islamic Republic's sovereign rights and the security of the Persian Gulf.
In its weekly report on Friday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains 70 percent below the levels recorded before the US-Israeli war on Iran.
The UKMTO said that shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained approximately 70 percent below pre-war levels, with 277 vessel movements recorded in the seven days leading up to October 28.
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