Iran's Revolutionary Guards Claim Drone Strikes on Tankers in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday, March 7, that it had carried out drone attacks on tankers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.

In a statement published by the Mizan news agency, the IRGC's press service stated that a tanker was targeted after ignoring repeated warnings from its naval forces. "This morning, a tanker... After ignoring repeated warnings from the IRGC Navy about the ban on movement and the insecurity of the Strait of Hormuz, was attacked by a 'kamikaze' drone," the declaration read.

The targeted vessel was identified as the tanker Prima. According to Iranian military officials, it had disregarded alerts concerning a movement prohibition and unsafe conditions in the vital waterway.

A second strike was reported later in the day. Iranian state television published a statement confirming an attack on another vessel. "This afternoon, a strike was carried out using a drone against the tanker Louise P, which was sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands in the Persian Gulf," it said.

The IRGC described this second tanker as "one of the assets of the United States."

These maritime strikes are presented by Iran as part of its response to actions by the United States and Israel. Iranian forces have recently targeted American military installations in the Middle East and Israeli territory. The broader conflict escalated significantly on February 28 when an attack struck a girls' school in southern Iran, resulting in casualties that included Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to Iran's permanent representative to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, the total number of victims from this initial attack has surpassed 1,300 people.