Iran Guards say three tankers hit mines crossing Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Oct 20 that naval mines halted three tankers attempting to travel the Strait of Hormuz on routes Tehran considers illegal. The Guards said two oil tankers were set ablaze and halted, and that a third exploded and caught fire after striking a mine south of the strait; that tanker was carrying over 2 million barrels of crude oil and had deactivated its radar and navigation systems. The text states the conflict began on Feb 28 when the United States and Israel attacked Iran, and that Iran has sought to blockade the waterway while the US imposed a counterblockade on Iranian ports and ships.
Why it matters: The strikes bear on energy security, since the text notes the strait carried around a fifth of the world's oil supplies in peacetime.