US Denies IRGC Iran Claims 2 Oil Tankers Damaged by Mines in Strait of Hormuz

JAKARTA - The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Iran's claim that two oil tankers were damaged by mines while trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz was a lie.

"Like most IRGC claims, this is not true," CENTCOM wrote in its post, as reported by CNN, Saturday, July 18.

The Iranian government news agency reported early Saturday that the tankers were set on fire by mines, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

In a statement, the IRGC described the waterway as an area that is "now very unsafe and completely closed."

Previously, US Centcom had first denied the claims of Iranian forces who said they attacked the al-Tanf Garrison in Syria and captured or killed US forces.

"There were no US forces in the area who were recently killed or captured," US Centcom said on Friday, July 17.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to target US forces in al-Tanf, Syria, as a retaliatory action for a deadly US attack on Iranshahr

The IRGC attack was reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. However, CNN was unable to independently verify the claim.

US military forces left the strategic al-Tanf garrison in February after more than a decade, amid a broader transition toward a reduced US presence in Syria.