Four oil tankers have been hit by explosions in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's military said on Thursday, 12 November, in the latest strikes on shipping through the strategic waterway. Iran said the vessels had ignored warnings and entered areas it considers restricted.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said two supertankers were disabled by explosions on Wednesday after they ignored warnings against using what it described as an "unauthorised route" through the strait. Iranian state media reported that the two vessels exploded after hitting naval mines and broadcast what it said was video footage of the incidents.

Iran's army later said two other tankers had hit mines on Thursday afternoon while sailing through the eastern Strait of Hormuz after ignoring warnings and disabling their radar systems. State television reported that the tankers entered a restricted area and subsequently caught fire.

What maritime monitors reported

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said in reports on Thursday that a vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile about 14 nautical miles north-west of the United Arab Emirates emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah on Wednesday while leaving the strait, causing a fire in its engine room. Firefighting efforts were under way and all crew had been evacuated, it said.

Reuters, which first reported the Iranian account, said it could not immediately verify it. In several earlier cases, UKMTO has said vessels were struck by unknown projectiles. Drop Site News also reported that two supertankers were on fire in the strait after the Revolutionary Guards said they had hit mines.

Attacks continue despite hopes of de-escalation

The strikes come even as tanker traffic through the strait has rebounded and oil prices have fallen on expectations that the war between the United States and Iran may be easing. At least 10 ships were hit in the first 10 days of November, after 37 attacks in October, which was the highest monthly total since the conflict began in late February, according to data from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Earlier in the war, the Revolutionary Guards Navy announced its attacks on tankers. More recently it has instead reported that vessels caught fire after hitting naval mines while crossing the southern part of the strait, which it has declared an unauthorised route.

About a fifth of the world's oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz before the war began, making the waterway one of the most important shipping routes in the world. Any sustained disruption to traffic through it can push up oil prices and shipping costs well beyond the region.