The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy and the Armed Forces' Navy reported the incidents on Saturday.
Three oil tankers reportedly exploded and caught fire after hitting naval mines in and around the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to reports from The Times of India, The Tribune and The Economic Times.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy stated that two vessels attempting to transit the waterway without authorisation hit mines and caught fire. The IRGC Navy claimed these tankers had their navigation and automatic identification systems switched off while attempting to navigate the area secretly.
A separate report from the Armed Forces' Navy involved another oil tanker east of the Strait of Hormuz. The Navy said this vessel also struck a naval mine and caught fire after operating in a prohibited zone with its tracking systems disabled.
The IRGC Navy added that two other tankers turned back to the Persian Gulf after receiving warnings from its Naval Traffic Control Centre. The Armed Forces' Navy warned that any vessel entering the restricted zone east of the strait would face similar consequences.
The Navy's public relations department criticised vessel owners for relying on assurances from US President Donald Trump. The department described it as unfortunate that owners were sending capital into a mine war by trusting the US president.
These incidents occur during escalating tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel. Iran has restricted maritime movement in the waterway following a US-Israeli military campaign against the country that began on February 28.
