TEHRAN, November 8. /TASS/. Three tankers exploded early this morning and are now engulfed in a major fire in the Strait of Hormuz along a route not authorized by Iran, the public relations department of the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an elite branch of the Iranian armed forces, reported on its website.
"Three tankers that violated regulations by using a route through the Strait of Hormuz not authorized [by Iran] have exploded and have been engulfed in a fierce fire since early this morning, with smoke from the burning vessels having blanketed the sky over the Strait of Hormuz," the report said.
The incidents occurred as the tankers had disabled their navigation and identification systems, as well as due to the actions of the US military, according to the report. Iranian regulations for passage through the Strait of Hormuz had been repeatedly communicated to all vessels, the Navy said, adding that those who violate these rules by taking unauthorized routes with the assistance of the US military will face the same fate.