Iran Reports Explosion Near Strait of Hormuz as Attacks on Vessels Intensify
“A few minutes ago, an explosion was heard from the Strait of Hormuz,” Iran’s state broadcaster reported, adding that the nature and source of the incident had not yet been determined.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — An explosion was heard near Iran’s strategic Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, Iranian state television reported, as Tehran said its forces had attacked more than a dozen vessels attempting to pass through the vital waterway.
“A few minutes ago, an explosion was heard from the Strait of Hormuz,” Iran’s state broadcaster reported, adding that the nature and source of the incident had not yet been determined.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had attacked two US vessels, eight oil tankers, and 10 other “non-compliant vessels” attempting to navigate the strait, according to Iranian state media.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) separately reported that “several” vessels in the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf had been subjected to disabling fire amid ongoing military activity in the region.
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is a critical global energy corridor through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.
Amid the escalating confrontation, the IRGC announced an expansion of its maritime “prohibited zone” to include parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The Guards said the exact coordinates of the newly restricted area would be announced later.
“If a vessel enters that area without coordination, it will be subject to our sanctions,” IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi said on state television.
The IRGC also said it had struck a US military base in Jordan in retaliation for US forces destroying five Iranian oil tankers a day earlier. Jordan’s military said it had intercepted 18 missiles fired toward the kingdom.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks on its tankers as “an overt threat to regional and international peace and security,” warning that they could further increase tensions in the region.
Tehran described its attacks on US military facilities in the region as an act of “self-defence” and warned of further strikes against tankers off the coasts of US allies Kuwait and Bahrain.
The US military has said its operations were in response to an Iranian attack targeting an American warship, marking the second such incident in less than a week.
The latest escalation has pushed oil prices above $100 per barrel again, as Iran continues to restrict traffic through the Strait of Hormuz while Washington pursues a counter-blockade of Iranian ports.