Middle East crisis live: US launches new round of airstrikes to ‘swiftly punish’ Iran after American troops killed

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said that ⁠two ⁠ships were ​involved in an “accident” after attempting ⁠to transit the strait of ⁠Hormuz via an “unsafe route”, ​while ‌two other ‌vessels abandoned that ‌route, according to a report in the Tasnim news agency, which we have not yet been able to independently verify.

The IRGC said the four vessels ‌had ignored Iranian warnings and acted ​with US backing.

“Vessels that are influenced by ⁠the words of the ​Americans and ​enter unsafe ​routes will ​certainly ‌face accidents,” ​an IRGC statement read.

The US has urged mariners to travel on the southern route through Oman’s territorial waters to avoid Iran. But Iran has laid out a system of lanes through the north of the strait close to the Iranian coast, and has insisted that all vessels use this route (or face consequences).