Middle EastIran says tankers hit its mines in the Strait of Hormuz, while the US insists the main shipping routes are clear
Iran's Revolutionary Guards say three tankers exploded after using a route Tehran calls "unauthorised", and its army says a fourth was hit. The US says the main routes have been cleared of mines. A UK maritime agency confirmed only that one tanker was struck near Oman.
Why it matters
About a fifth of the world's oil and gas normally passes through the strait. Any new danger to ships can push fuel prices up again and makes a deal between Washington and Tehran harder.
Saad Ali
