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IRGC Navy says it halted two tankers south of Hormuz
Iran’s IRGC Navy said Friday it stopped two oil tankers south of the Strait of Hormuz after they ignored warnings, Arab News and Middle East Eye reported; neither named the ships or cited independent confirmation.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said Friday it had halted two oil tankers in waters south of the Strait of Hormuz after what it called incidents on an unauthorised route1,2.
The claim comes from an IRGC statement carried by Arab News and Middle East Eye1,2. Neither report named the ships, their flags or owners, and neither cited independent confirmation from ship operators, insurers or maritime-security agencies1,2.
According to the statement as reported by Arab News, one tanker was in the eastern part of the strait and the other in the western part, and both were brought to a halt south of the waterway2. The Guards said the vessels had switched off navigation and positioning systems, ignored radio warnings and tried a route Tehran does not authorise1,2.
The IRGC accused the U.S. military of supporting the attempted passage1,2. Arab News quoted the statement as saying the tankers, “with the support of the terrorist US military, were attempting to exit through the unauthorised route”2. There was no on-record U.S. response in the reports reviewed1,2.
The Guards did not describe what the “incidents” were2. Middle East Eye said the statement also blamed U.S. actions and the vessels’ disregard for Iranian rules for fires aboard the ships, and said another vessel that caught fire Thursday night in southern Hormuz waters had sunk1.
Arab News placed Friday’s statement a day after Iranian armed forces said at least four tankers had stopped in the area after hitting mines2. Those earlier claims were likewise IRGC-attributed in the coverage used here2.
Iran has required ships to use a designated corridor and coordinate with its forces, calling a southern lane closer to Oman unauthorised, Arab News reported2. Iran has restricted traffic through the strait since a wider Middle East war began on Feb. 28, and the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, according to Arab News2.
What remains unknown includes the tankers’ identities, whether they are still detained, the cause of any damage or fire, and whether commercial tracking or Western or Omani authorities independently recorded Friday’s events1,2.
Sources
How it’s being reported
3 sourcesFirst reported by 
Arab News
IRGC Navy intercepts two vessels in southern waters of Hormuz
Fires aboard the ships and a separate vessel said to have sunk after catching fire Thursday night.
Live-blog item attributing Friday’s halt of two tankers, U.S. accusations, shipboard fires and a Thursday-night sinking to an IRGC Navy statement.
Leaves out Independent ship names, flags or AIS confirmation.
Arab NewsFirstIran Guards say two tankers halted after 'incidents' in Hormuz
Unspecified “incidents,” radio warnings, and a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in the wider war context.
Reports the IRGC statement that two oil tankers were halted after unspecified incidents on what Tehran calls an unauthorised Hormuz route.
Leaves out Ship identities and independent maritime-agency confirmation of Friday’s halt.
Iran's IRGC navy says two tankers stopped south of Hormuz after incidents
Leads with what someone said.
Where they agree
- The IRGC navy said Friday two tankers were stopped south of the Strait of Hormuz after trying an unauthorized route.
- The IRGC said the vessels ignored radio warnings.
Where they differ
What happened to the ships beyond being halted