Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported on Monday that an unidentified supertanker caught fire and halted while trying an 'illegal route' south of the strait, away from paths Iran approves. The IRGC warned ships to follow Tehran's navigation rules and ignore U.S. guidance, calling American forces the 'child-killing' army.
The incident, unconfirmed independently, heightens U.S.-Iran tensions in this vital chokepoint where one-fifth of global oil transits, amid recent U.S. claims of clearing mines from international lanes.