In a statement on Saturday night, the IRGC Navy said the two oil tankers had repeatedly violated regulations and switched off their navigation and positioning systems in an attempt to pass through prohibited routes in the strategic waterway.

The statement said both vessels struck mines and exploded, leaving them engulfed in intense flames.

Warning other vessels against similar violations, the IRGC Navy said any ship cooperating with the US “aggressor and plundering army,” defying Iranian regulations governing the Strait of Hormuz, or entering prohibited areas would inevitably strike mines.

The statement also urged vessels not to heed the fantasies of the commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM).