Iranian Zolfaghar missiles are displayed in front of a large portrait of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran, amid tensions with the United States over the Strait of Hormuz.
Seven oil tankers were reportedly damaged or caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz overnight Thursday after being attacked or striking naval mines, Iranian state television reported.
If confirmed, the incident would mark the highest number of vessels damaged in the strategic waterway in a single day since the Iran war began on February 28, when the United States launched joint strikes against Iran.
Citing a statement from the naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the report said four tankers caught fire after being targeted while transferring oil.
Three other vessels were damaged and left immobilised after striking naval mines.The report did not provide details about possible casualties or identify the countries under whose flags the tankers were sailing.
The IRGC Navy also warned that any US attempt to facilitate oil tanker movements through what it described as “illegal passages” in the strait could prompt a broader response, including attacks on US military bases across the region.
Since the war began, the IRGC has repeatedly targeted US military bases in Gulf countries.