TEHRAN, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Three vessels, including two oil tankers and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, changed course and turned back while seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz via a southern route after receiving warnings from the navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), media reported Sunday.
Citing the latest maritime tracking data, the semi-official Fars news agency identified the vessels as Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Velos Amber, Liberian-flagged oil tanker BRAVO and Marshall Islands-flagged LNG tanker AL SHEEHANIYA, which belongs to Qatar.
It added that the IRGC's Navy had warned the three tankers that the southern route in the strait was closed.
The development comes amid a series of naval confrontations between Iran and the United States.
U.S. Central Command said Saturday on social media platform X that U.S. forces had struck three Iranian crude oil carriers after the IRGC "launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships patrolling regional waters."
The IRGC Navy later confirmed the U.S. strikes, saying it had targeted three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and three U.S.-affiliated vessels elsewhere in retaliation.
Following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, Tehran restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while U.S. forces imposed a naval blockade targeting vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas.■
