Iran dismisses US claims of tankers crossing Strait of Hormuz as 'media noise'

TEHRAN, Iran — TEHRAN — Iran's Revolutionary Guard dismissed as "media noise" recent US claims about oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, saying the country's maritime monitoring capacity is not limited to equipment known to adversaries. Brigadier General Hossein Mahboubi, spokesman for the Revolutionary Guard, told Iranian media that US allegations about tanker movements were largely media noise and that Guard surveillance operates through means the opposing side cannot easily detect. Mahboubi said the notion that destroying a set of radars would eliminate Iran's monitoring capability was far from reality, without elaborating on the specific equipment involved. Separately, the Strait of Hormuz Authority said vessels that cooperate with ships acting in violation of regulations would be placed on a violation list. The authority told the Fars news agency that future violations could result in fines, detentions or seizure of vessels.