OMM Newsroom
An oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in the southern Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said late Sunday, according to Anadolu Agency.
The blast hit the vessel’s engine room as it tried to leave the strategic waterway, Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency reported, citing an IRGC Navy statement.
According to the statement, the tanker had switched off all positioning and navigation systems from the start of its voyage and attempted to use a southern route that Tehran considers unauthorized.
The IRGC Navy accused the vessel of violating maritime regulations governing passage through the strait. It warned that ships operating in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf with their navigation and identification systems switched off would face a firm response.
The statement did not identify the tanker or give details about possible casualties or the extent of the damage.
Other tanker incidents in the strait
The announcement followed a series of similar incidents in the strategic waterway. On Saturday, the IRGC Navy said a second supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil struck a naval mine and caught fire while attempting to cross the strait by an unauthorized route.
A day earlier, the Iranian force reported that another tanker had struck a mine, triggering an explosion and fire.
Conflict and navigation agreement
The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
The United States and Iran subsequently signed a memorandum of understanding in June concerning freedom of navigation in the strait, but its implementation stalled over disagreements related to security in the strategic waterway.
