Iran claims 4 oil tankers destroyed by naval mines near Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed Wednesday that four oil tankers were destroyed after striking naval mines while attempting to pass through a prohibited shipping lane south of the Strait of Hormuz.

The tankers remained ablaze following the explosions, the IRGC said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

Two other vessels were detained for violating shipping restrictions, it added.

The IRGC also claimed its air defense forces shot down a US-made MQ-9 drone over the strait at 4.30 am local time (0100GMT), describing it as the 56th such aircraft it had downed.

The statement said the operations were carried out by the IRGC's naval and aerospace forces, which had inflicted "heavy blows on the enemy."

It warned that Iranian forces remained ready to deliver a "final blow" to Israel and the United States.

The developments came as Qatar continued mediating between Washington and Tehran amid tensions over a US naval blockade and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran said Monday it was still exchanging messages with the US through mediators and that reopening the waterway depended on Washington ending the blockade.

The US and Israel launched attacks against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting Tehran to retaliate against Israel and US assets in the region before a ceasefire was reached in April.

Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz on June 18, but its implementation stalled over disagreements concerning security arrangements.