IRAN'S IRGC SAYS FOUR OIL TANKERS HIT MINES NEAR STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said four oil tankers it described as "rogue" were destroyed after striking naval mines and catching fire while attempting to pass through a restricted area south of the Strait of Hormuz. The Guard Corps said its forces also intercepted two further vessels in the same area. Semi-official Tasnim news agency carried the IRGC's account. The IRGC separately said its Aerospace Force air defences shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the strait at 4:30am local time, 1am GMT, on Tuesday. No independent body confirmed either claim.

The Strait of Hormuz separates Iran from Oman and the United Arab Emirates and carries a significant share of the world's seaborne oil trade. The IRGC did not name the flags or operators of the four tankers, nor of the two vessels it said were intercepted. Officials gave no figures for any casualties. Tehran has previously declared stretches of water near the strait off-limits to shipping. The IRGC has made similar claims about tankers striking mines in the strait in recent weeks, including one on 30 October.

Neither the United States nor any shipping or vessel operating companies issued a public response to the claims. Repeated reports of mine strikes and vessel interceptions in the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks have drawn attention to security conditions along the route. The strait is among the most heavily monitored waterways in the world given the volume of oil and gas shipments passing through it daily. Iran's account, delivered through the Revolutionary Guard Corps and carried by Tasnim, is the only description of the events available so far.