2 oil tankers caught fire while seeking to cross 'unauthorized' route of Hormuz: IRGC

TEHRAN, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Friday morning that two "violating" oil tankers seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz through an "unauthorized" route caught fire after hitting naval mines.

In a statement on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC's navy said both vessels had turned off their navigation and identification systems and were trying to exit the strait through the "unauthorized" route with the "aggressive and terrorist" U.S. Army's support, but were stopped after hitting the naval mines.

The navy stressed that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and no change will occur to the waterway's status quo unless the United States meets Iran's seven conditions.

It added that bids by the forces of U.S. Central Command to compel oil tankers to cross the waterway through the mined route will lead to nothing but "consecutive and abject" defeats.

Iran tightened its grip on the strait on Feb. 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iran.