Two oil tankers caught fire after striking a mine in the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Wednesday, saying the vessels had been urged by the US military to transit through an illegal route.
According to a statement by the IRGC’s Public Relations Office, the tankers’ crews were disembarked at the instigation of the US military and the vessels were placed “at the disposal of America’s agents” before attempting to cross the route.
The tankers subsequently struck a mine, “exploded and came to a stop, burning,” the IRGC said, adding that its naval forces had previously warned shipping companies of the dangers of crossing the mined corridor.
The IRGC warned maritime companies against following US-directed routes through the strategic waterway, saying further “punitive warnings” would be issued and enforced.
The force also rejected US intimidation tactics, accusing Washington of seeking to terrorize the Iranian people through attacks on civilian gatherings.
“These barbaric displays will not weaken our forces’ control over the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said.
Addressing the Iranian public, the IRGC said: “Your steadfastness on the battlefield has become an inspiration to nations,” adding that the world was witnessing “the awakening of peoples and the tightening of the noose around the arrogant criminals.”
The IRGC stressed Iran would not be intimidated, declaring that “this is not an era of humiliating and subjugating nations” and that “this century is the century of the triumph of the will of the people.”
Source: Al-Manar English Wbsite