ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Thursday that two oil supertankers suffered a “massive explosion” last night in the Strait of Hormuz after passing through an “unauthorized route” and allegedly dismissing warnings issued by the forces.

“Last night, two offending oil tankers, ignoring repeated warnings from the IRGC Navy’s Strait of Hormuz Traffic Control Center regarding the unauthorized and unsafe nature of the southern route, encountered an accident while transiting this prohibited path, resulting in a massive explosion that brought them to a standstill,” read a statement from the IRGC Navy Public Relations Office.

“Both vessels were supertankers carrying a combined total of more than 4 million barrels of oil, which are now burning as a result of their trust in the American plundering and aggressor army,” the statement added.

The forces further warned that any vessel that “switches off its navigation systems and cooperates with the smuggling US military… will meet a similar fate.”

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which covers maritime incidents and attacks on vessels in the strait, reported an “incident involving a tanker” on Wednesday, while stressing that the status of crew, damage assessment, and environmental impact were not immediately known.

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) repeatedly claiming 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.

Washington and Tehran reached a memorandum of understanding (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 CENTCOM said Iranian forces had attacked a Cyprus-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz.