ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Two oil tankers hit sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz and became engulfed in “intense fire,” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Sunday, accusing the vessels of passing through the waterway via an “unauthorized route.”

“Two oil tankers—one located east of the Strait of Hormuz and the other within the strait itself—which were attempting to transit via an unauthorized route, struck mines and are now engulfed in an intense fire,” state media reported, citing the IRGC navy’s public relations.

The forces accused the vessels of committing “multiple violations,” including deactivating their navigation and positioning systems, as well as passing through an “unauthorized route.”

The IRGC warned that “any ship or vessel that cooperates with the aggressive and predatory US military, defies Iranian regulations regarding the Strait of Hormuz, or enters an unauthorized zone will inevitably strike a mine.”

A similar incident was reported Saturday, when the Iranian army’s navy said another “offending tanker” caught fire after striking a mine, claiming that the vessel had been “navigating within a prohibited and unsafe zone, ignoring standard warnings, and had deactivated its navigation systems.”

Iran has frequently attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz, while also claiming other tankers have struck sea mines laid after failing to heed Iranian-approved navigation routes.

However, the veracity of Tehran's claims to have riddled the Strait with mines is unknown, with the US Central Command (CENTCOM) earlier reiterating a long-standing claim that all underwater explosives have been removed by the US military.

The latest episode comes as Tehran and Washington continue to trade draft peace proposals with one another, with both sides revising potential frameworks for an agreement that are then passed on via mediators.

Tehran moved to restrict passage through the strait following the outbreak of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran in February. US forces later imposed a counter-blockade. Despite a memorandum of understanding (MoU) reached in June, the waterway remains blocked, disrupting a major route for global energy shipments.

Washington and Tehran reached an MoU on June 17 to end hostilities and resume negotiations for 60 days. A key Washington condition in the MoU was free navigation in the strait.

The deal fell apart only 21 days later after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Iranian forces had attacked a Cyprus-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz.