TEHRAN, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday that two "violating" oil tankers were disabled by explosions while crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night.
In a statement on the IRGC's official news outlet, Sepah News, the navy said the two supertankers transited the strait despite frequent warnings from its center for controlling traffic in the waterway about the "unauthorized and unsafe" nature of the southern route.
It added that the tankers were carrying more than 4 million barrels of oil in total.
The navy warned that the same fate will await any vessel that turns off its navigation systems in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf and cooperates with the U.S. military in crossing the waterway's "unauthorized" southern route.
Iran tightened its grip on the strait on Feb. 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory. ■
