Three Tankers Hit Mines and Catch Fire Near Hormuz

Three oil tankers hit naval mines and caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said.

The tankers had been crossing an area the Guards described as unauthorized, south of the strait, with their navigation and radar systems switched off. Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed the incident on Thursday morning. The announcement was carried by Reuters.

No names, flag states or crew figures were released.

The fires are the latest in a series of mine strikes that have hit tankers in and around the waterway throughout October. On Tuesday, the mine strike that sent a tanker ablaze as Iran declared the strait closed to ships it deems in violation came alongside reports of nearly 500 tankers waiting at the approaches.

A week before that, the IRGC claimed seven tankers were hit in a single overnight operation on October 22, a count the group described as the war's worst single-day toll in the waterway.

Qatar is mediating between Iran and the United States. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is in contact with Qatari mediators on a proposed seven-day plan that would allow the waterway to reopen, according to Democracy Now.