Iran Reports Fourth Oil Tanker Fire in Strait of Hormuz After Mine Strike
According to the navy’s public relations office, the supertanker was carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil and had ignored repeated radio warnings not to use the southern route through the strategic waterway.
The vessel struck a mine, triggering a powerful explosion and setting it ablaze, the statement said.
The IRGC claimed the tanker was attempting to leave the strait through what it described as an unauthorized southern passage.
It added that the incident represented the fourth reported tanker fire in the waterway since early Friday.
Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a vessel had been hit by an unidentified projectile approximately 40 nautical miles south of Iran’s Lavan Island at 1800 GMT.
The projectile struck the vessel’s port side and sparked a fire on board. The crew was reported safe, with no environmental damage identified, according to the UKMTO.
It remained unclear whether the incident reported by the British maritime agency involved the same tanker mentioned by the IRGC.
Iranian authorities have reported several incidents involving commercial vessels in and around the strait in recent weeks, including claims that tankers were damaged by naval mines.
Connecting the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz is a critical international shipping corridor for crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports.
Maritime security concerns have continued since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting Iranian retaliation across the region.
Despite subsequent diplomatic initiatives and a memorandum signed by Washington and Tehran in June, disagreements over maritime security and navigation arrangements in the strait remain unresolved.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
