ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iran’s army and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navies said at least three oil tankers caught fire after striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz since late Friday, accusing the vessels of ignoring warnings and sailing through unauthorized routes.

The Iranian army’s navy said Saturday that an oil tanker had “struck a naval mine, caught fire, and came to a halt” after allegedly ignoring prior warnings and navigating through an “unsafe, prohibited zone” east of the Strait of Hormuz with its tracking and identification systems switched off.

Late Friday, the IRGC Navy reported that two other oil tankers had struck naval mines while attempting to transit the strait through “an unauthorized route with their radar and positioning systems switched off,” causing explosions and fires.

It said one of the vessels was an oil supertanker.

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.

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.