TEHRAN, October 23. /TASS/. Two supertankers struck sea mines while trying to illegally pass through the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, elite units of the Iranian army) said.

"During the day, two violator supertankers that had tried to navigate through the Strait of Hormuz along an unauthorized southern route struck sea mines. Following an explosion and a strong fire, their engine rooms were disabled, and the vessels came to a halt," it said.

According to the IRGC, the tankers were carrying a total of 4.5 million barrels of crude oil. Both tankers lost speed and stopped off the southern coast of the Strait of Hormuz. The crews evacuated from the vessels.