OMM Redaksiyası
Several powerful explosions recorded south of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday may have been caused by oil tankers striking sea mines, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported, citing unnamed military sources.
The number of vessels affected and any casualties have yet to be determined. Iranian military sources claimed the tankers had used “unauthorized” routes through the sea corridor.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a British Royal Navy maritime security agency and a key point of contact between military forces and commercial vessels, has not publicly reported any incident on Thursday.
Attacks increase in the Strait of Hormuz
Maritime security sources say at least 12 attacks targeted tankers carrying oil, liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas around the Strait of Hormuz from Sept. 28 to Oct. 5. This was the highest weekly figure recorded on the strategic waterway since the Iran war began in late February.
The US-led Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said in a note issued Sunday that attacks, attempted attacks and coercive activity by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the strait were continuing. The activity also included drones flying over vessels, surveillance and attempts to contact ships by VHF radio.
“These actions indicate Iran’s intent to assert its presence along key transit routes and maintain pressure on vessels passing through the strait,” the JMIC statement said.
Tehran warns against new routes through the strait
A senior regional official close to Tehran said Iran had warned neighboring countries that it would view attempts to open new routes for oil exports as a hostile act.
“Iran has no intention of allowing control over the Strait of Hormuz to slip away, and plans are ready to close routes used by some regional countries to export oil,” a senior diplomat briefed on Tehran’s position said.
The diplomat said this could involve missile and drone attacks on vessels or sending boats to intimidate them into turning away.
Sources say oil producers in Gulf countries have in recent months tried to move cargoes through the part of the strait near Oman’s coast and then transfer them to other vessels in open waters in the Gulf of Oman, with US air support.
