The public relations office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Friday, July 31, that two oil tankers attempting to pass through a designated corridor in the southern Strait of Hormuz were struck and brought to a halt. The IRGC added that four other tankers altered their course and returned to their points of origin.
In its statement, the IRGC claimed that the tankers were operating under the direction of US Central Command (CENTCOM) and were escorted by US military aircraft while attempting to transit a route that the IRGC characterised as “unsafe and illegal,” despite previously issued warnings.
The IRGC public relations unit noted that, on the preceding night, in response to an official CENTCOM statement, it had advised commercial shipping companies and maritime insurers to disregard operational directives issued by US forces.
The statement reiterated warnings that any US military intervention aimed at altering maritime traffic flows in the region would elicit direct countermeasures.
