Iran says two tankers catch fire after hitting mines in Strait of Hormuz

BREAKING: Two oil tankers, each carrying around two million barrels of crude, catch fire after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's IRGC says.

Two oil tankers are burning in the Strait of Hormuz, four million barrels of crude between them.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard says both ships hit naval mines after switching off their transponders and taking a route Tehran hadn't authorised. One of them, the Guard claims, was trying to cross with American support. And this is the waterway they were crossing, the channel that used to carry a fifth of the world's oil.

Used to, because Iran has controlled it since the war with the US and Israel began in February, and every ship now needs Tehran's permission to pass. Look at what that's done to the flow. Nearly twenty one million barrels moved through on October 8. Three days later, under three million.

Last Sunday, six vessels were attacked in a single day, the most since the war began. President Trump has ruled out nuclear weapons and ground troops. But the world's most important oil chokepoint is now a minefield, and the attacks are accelerating week by week.

This is Liu Yang, reporting for HIT.