“Last night, two oil tankers, encouraged by American aircraft, attempted to leave through the unsafe southern route of the Strait of Hormuz,” the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by AFP. “After a major fire broke out on one of them, both vessels quickly turned back,” the Iranian forces were quoted as saying. The southern lane hugging Oman’s coast is believed to be protected by the U.S. and has been deemed “unsafe” by Iran. Set OilPrice.com as a preferred source in Google hereSince the collapse of the ceasefire, Iran has struck vessels transiting the southern lane close to Oman. Tanker operators have all but stopped attempts to transit the Strait since the hostilities returned, and Iran started attacking and harassing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz again.