TEHRAN: Iran’s armed forces said on Thursday that four tankers had caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, where the country has been targeting ships that transit without its authorization.

Since the outbreak of the Middle East war in late February, Tehran has heavily restricted traffic through the strategic shipping channel, insisting vessels use routes it has approved.

The United States has in response imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and has helped tankers cross the strait, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil.

“Last night, two tankers — acting in violation of regulations and despite repeated warnings from the Revolutionary Guards Navy regarding the unauthorized and dangerous nature of the southern maritime route — were involved in an accident while traversing this prohibited path in the strait,” the Guards said in a statement.

They did not specify the nature of the “accident” but said it left the two tankers immobilized after they were hit with a “violent explosion.”

“These two supertankers were carrying a combined total of over four million barrels of oil, which are now ablaze — a consequence of the blind trust placed in the aggressive American military,” the statement said.

Later on Thursday, the Iranian army said two other tankers it deemed to be “in violation” east of the strait had caught fire after “hitting a naval mine,” according to a statement released by state television.

The statements did not specify the names or the nationalities of the tankers in question.

Iranian forces have made multiple announcements in recent weeks of ships catching fire attempting to use routes that Tehran considers off-limits.

Tehran has often said they struck mines, though the US military recently claimed all mines had been cleared from the strait.