Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday that two oil tankers - which they described as "incited by American aircrafts" - attempted to pass through the southern route in the Strait of Hormuz overnight.

But after a severe fire broke out on one, both vessels quickly returned, the statement said.

It did not make clear the cause of the fire, but parts of the Strait of Hormuz are known to be mined and Iran's military has occasionally fired on ships it did not authorize.

The Guards repeated their assertion that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be reopened as long as what they called interference by the United States continues.

In the same statement, they also repeated that Mideast countries assisting "aggressors" in the region will face a harsh response.