Iran says four vessels hit in Gulf, warns US over regional bases

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard ​Corps Navy said ‌on Thursday that four vessels involved ​in illegal oil ​transfers in the northern ⁠Persian Gulf ​were simultaneously hit ​and caught fire after being tracked by its ​forces on ​Wednesday.

The IRGC added that three ‌more ⁠vessels collided with mines west of the Strait ​of Hormuz, ​and ⁠warned the US military ​that continued provocations ​could ⁠lead to a wider response ⁠against ​its regional ​bases.

The IRGC Navy said it struck four vessels using unauthorised routes through the Strait of Hormuz after detecting them transferring oil between ships in the northern Persian Gulf, and warned that continued US pressure on vessels to use the routes could trigger attacks on American bases in the region.

In a statement, the IRGC Navy said it had monitored and pursued the four vessels after previously warning maritime companies against violating navigation rules, which it said they had done after being misled by the “aggressor US military”.

The vessels were found transferring oil cargo from one ship to another in the northern central Persian Gulf and were struck simultaneously, leaving all four on fire, the statement added.

The naval force also said three other vessels had been involved in incidents and caught fire after hitting mines west of the Strait of Hormuz the previous night. The vessels were stopped, according to the statement.

The IRGC Navy accused the United States of continuing to encourage ships to use an unauthorised passage through a mined area, saying the approach had led to a growing number of maritime incidents.

“The aggressor US military must know that, if this trend continues, the scope of confrontation will extend to the aggressor bases in the region. This is a serious warning,” the statement said.

The warning follows an October 9 declaration by the IRGC that action against vessels using unauthorised passages would not be limited to the Strait of Hormuz.

At the time, it said offending vessels would be pursued across the region and that violations would be punished.

Iran’s armed forces have maintained control of the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Israeli war against Iran began on February 28.

Tehran has said it will not reopen the strategic waterway until Washington meets its demands and takes steps to restore Iran’s trust.