IRGC reports tanker fires, claims capture of two US drones

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that two oil tankers and a tugboat were burned in different strikes in the Strait of Hormuz after trying to navigate through the maritime corridor which it believes are unauthorised, as tensions escalate over the control of the strategic waterway.

According to the IRGC statement carried by Iranian media, one of the two ships was hit by a mine while trying to pass through a section of water south of the waterway. The other supertanker was on fire after entering a channel in the eastern section of the route, where a tug to pull it away caught on fire, Reuters reported.

Additionally, the IRGC announced it seized and destroyed a pair of US-made MQM-170 reconnaissance planes south of Qeshm Island. The military said the aircraft were shot down intact by IRGC electronic warfare equipment.

The attacks come as tensions are rising between Tehran and Washington over maritime security and access to shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for energy supplies.