Tehran [Iran], July 19 (ANI): The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy on Jattvibeday 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 were prevented from continuing along the same route, according to Iran’s state-run IRIB.In a statement carried by IRIB, the IRGC Navy alleged that four ships, “with the mischief and support of American terrorists,” switched off their navigation systems and ignored warnings issued by the IRGC Navy’s Strait of Hormuz Control Base. It said the vessels attempted to leave the Strait through an unsafe route.According to the statement, two of the ships were involved in an accident and were forced to stop, while the remaining two did not continue on the route.The IRGC Navy said the Strait of Hormuz remains under its “complete control” and stated that the only safe passage is the designated route announced by the force. It reiterated its earlier position that “not a single drop of oil, gas, or chemical fertiliser” would pass through the Strait of Hormuz without coordination and permission.The statement added that vessels influenced by “the American enemy’s words” and choosing an unsafe route would “surely encounter an accident.”Earlier today, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had intercepted and destroyed a US MQ-9 drone in Ahvaz, a city in the Khuzestan region that borders Iraq, state-run Press TV reported.The development came amid a sharp escalation in regional hostilities, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) carrying out a series of military operations targeting Iranian assets. The strikes mark an “eighth consecutive night” of kinetic actions against Tehran-backed facilities in the region.According to an official statement released on X, the operation was executed late Saturday under direct authorisation from the White House. “US Central Command (CENTCOM) completed another round of strikes against Iran on July 18 at 11:30 p.m. ET, at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” the statement read.Authorised by US President Donald Trump, the military engagement was also “designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM stated.During the operational sweep, American forces engaged multiple strategic locations, focusing heavily on degradation operations. The strikes successfully hit Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defence facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites. CENTCOM noted that the primary objective of the mission was to continue degrading “Iranian military capabilities”.The military action also served as a direct retaliatory response to hostilities directed at American personnel the previous day, specifically designed to “punish” Iran following the fatalities of two American service members during an assault attributed to Tehran-backed forces in Jordan. Elaborating on this punitive objective, CENTCOM confirmed that the strikes were intended to “swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night”.The two US soldiers lost their lives on Friday while they “defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks”. CENTCOM further noted that another service member was still missing in action, bringing the official tally to 16 US military personnel killed since hostilities escalated on February 28 following joint US-Israeli strikes. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)