TEHRAN – The Islamic Revolution Guards navy said on Wednesday that two oil tankers caught fire and were abandoned after striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as they attempted a covert transit personally guided by a U.S. military officer under the aerial cover of American fighter jets. 
In a statement carried by the IRGC Navy’s public relations office, the force said the two tankers attempted late Tuesday night to exit the waterway through an “unauthorized and highly dangerous route” with their navigation and identification systems deliberately switched off. 
The statement said the vessels were “directly guided by an officer of the aggressor U.S. army,” with warplanes providing cover, and that naval mines “foiled these smugglers”.
The IRGC said the vessels were “burning fiercely and have been completely abandoned” despite efforts by “accomplices” to extinguish the flames, adding another “dark page” to the record of CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper. 
It mocked U.S. officials for staging “media shows from helicopters outside the Strait,” saying uncensored aerial photographs display “the burning reality”.
Separately, Iran’s Army navy announced early Wednesday that a violating oil tanker caught fire after hitting a naval mine in the “unsafe and forbidden” eastern area of the Strait.
The Army said its forces are “monitoring and controlling” the eastern waters and again advised
 shipowners that safe passage requires coordination with the Iranian armed forces and compliance with maritime regulations.
The incidents follow a similar event on Tuesday, when the IRGC Navy reported three tankers suffered explosions on an unauthorized southern route near Omani waters. 
Iran imposed strict maritime restrictions after the U.S.-Israeli war began on Feb. 28, requiring prior authorization and confining safe passage to designated northern corridors while declaring southern routes unauthorized and heavily mined.
Also on Wednesday, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority said it had taken legal action against two bulk carriers for using forged documents to sail to southern Persian Gulf ports without authorization. 
The PGSA said the vessels avoided being placed on its non-compliance list after accepting commitments, and that other previously violating ships could face lighter measures if they acknowledge violations by email. 
The PGSA maintains a blacklist of vessels found to have violated its rules. Ships included on the list may face penalties such as fines, detention, or seizure.
On November 2, the PGSA added 114 vessels to the blacklist, nearly doubling its total number of listed ships in its largest update since the list was established in August.
The newly listed vessels included ships linked to South Korea’s Sinokor, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company and Saudi shipping firm Bahri.
The authority has said its measures are aimed at regulating maritime traffic and ensuring compliance with its requirements for vessels operating in the waterway.
Iran established the PGSA to implement the understanding, but American violations forced the country to close Hormuz again.