Iran reports tanker fires, criticizes US demands
Shafaq News- Tehran
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday that two oil tankers caught fire and were immobilized after striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
The vessels had entered an “unauthorized passage” in the southern part of the strait, triggering mines laid by Iranian naval forces, according to the statement, which did not identify the tankers or disclose details about their crews.
The IRGC Navy cautioned ships against using the mined route, threatening further consequences for oil companies that disregard its restrictions and asserting Tehran’s control over maritime traffic.
On Saturday, Iran’s Navy reported a burning, immobilized tanker in the Gulf of Oman, following two earlier incidents in which supertankers allegedly struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) has reported redirecting 138 commercial vessels since reinstating its naval blockade of Iranian ports on July 14. Initially imposed on April 13 and suspended on June 18, the blockade previously involved diverting shipping traffic and disabling nine vessels accused of defying US orders.
The Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about 20% of global oil supplies, remains a focal point of tensions between Washington and Tehran. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei criticized Washington’s response to Tehran’s seven-day diplomatic proposal as “insufficient and incomplete,” blaming “excessive [US] demands” for obstructing negotiations.
“Lifting the naval blockade and ending the war on all fronts are entirely logical and legitimate demands,” Baqaei said at a press conference, pressing Washington to address both issues.
Under the proposal, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear negotiations within a week in exchange for an end to the US naval blockade, eased restrictions on Iranian oil sales, and a restored regional ceasefire. The initiative builds on the June 17 Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which established a temporary framework for ending military operations, removing the blockade, and reopening the waterway. Tehran is seeking a broader settlement based on that arrangement.
