Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced on Sunday that a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of oil had sunk. The vessel struck a mine and caught fire while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The ship was one of two tankers that hit mines during transit through the trade corridor, according to the Guards. Independent confirmation of the incidents was not immediately available.
Tehran has strictly limited traffic through the waterway since the Middle East conflict began in late February. Iranian authorities have insisted that all vessels use routes authorised by the state.
Vessels transiting without official authorisation have been regularly targeted by Iran. The United States responded by imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports and assisting tankers through the strait.
Roughly one-fifth of global oil normally passes through the waterway. The American military recently stated that it had successfully cleared all mines from the main shipping routes in the region.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps detailed the events in a statement broadcast on state television. Over the past few hours, two oil tankers travelling along an unauthorised route in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz struck naval mines, resulting in massive explosions and fire, the statement said.
One of these vessels, a supertanker carrying over two million barrels of crude oil, sank in the southern waters of the Persian Gulf, the Guards added. The statement did not provide the names or national origins of the tankers involved.
Tehran has issued multiple statements in recent weeks regarding ships catching fire in the strait after allegedly striking mines. US Central Command has actively supported vessels traversing the waterway.
Last month, the US military command reported helping Gulf nations export 1.5 billion barrels of oil via Hormuz since the summer. Meanwhile, a British maritime monitor stated on Sunday that it was aware of a report from Indian shipping authorities concerning a tanker attack in the Gulf.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said it was unclear if the report matched the incident announced by the Iranian Guards. The UKMTO reported that the crew members were safe, though the extent of the damage and environmental impact was unknown.
