Afghanistan, Oct. 22 -- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Thursday that it had struck four vessels in the northern Persian Gulf and reported that three others were hit by naval mines west of the Strait of Hormuz, amid escalating tensions over shipping routes.
In a statement, the IRGC Navy said its forces had identified four vessels allegedly transferring oil between ships after previously taking what Tehran described as an illegal route. It said the vessels were struck simultaneously.
The force separately said three vessels had been disabled and caught fire on Wednesday night after hitting mines west of the Strait of Hormuz. The claims could not be independently verified.
The IRGC accused the United States of enco...