US Central Command has rejected an Iranian claim that two oil tankers exploded and caught fire while attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said the vessels had struck mines while trying to pass through a mined route in the southern part of the strategic waterway. The claim was carried by Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, which quoted the IRGC Navy as saying that the strait was “extremely unsafe and completely closed” because of US aggression.
However, CENTCOM dismissed the report in a post on X. Responding to the IRGC's allegation that two tankers had exploded after hitting mines in the international waterway, the command said: “This is false.”
The Iranian military provided no further details about the alleged explosions, including the names, locations or ownership of the tankers. No independent confirmation of the incident was immediately available.
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The competing claims came as fighting between the United States and Iran intensified across the Middle East, with both sides targeting military and infrastructure sites.
The US expanded its strikes on Iran on Friday, hitting bridges, energy facilities and a tower at a major Iranian port. The attacks followed President Donald Trump's threats to increase pressure on Tehran over its restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
Iran responded by launching missiles towards US-allied countries, including Qatar and Kuwait. A water desalination plant in Kuwait was reportedly damaged.
US said it had carried out a seventh consecutive night of attacks intended to weaken Iran's military capabilities. Iranian officials said recent US strikes had killed dozens and wounded hundreds, while the US military also reported additional injuries among its personnel amid widening regional hostilities.
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