On the 23rd, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran issued a statement announcing that three oil tankers, "misled by the United States", were intercepted while attempting to lay mines along a shipping lane south of the Strait of Hormuz; one of the tankers exploded and caught fire, and the other two turned back. The statement said that the IRGC has taken control and "completely sealed off" the Strait of Hormuz. During continued "provocations" by the United States in the region, no

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran issued a statement on the 23rd, announcing that three oil tankers "misled by the United States" were intercepted while attempting to lay mines along the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz. One of the tankers exploded and caught fire, while the other two turned back. The statement said the Revolutionary Guard Corps has taken control and "completely sealed off" the Strait of Hormuz, and no oil tankers are allowed to enter or exit the strait as long as the United States continues its "provocations" in the region. The statement warns that any ship misled by the United States and attempting to transit the strait without coordination with Iran will face similar consequences. (Xinhua News Agency).