A supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil caught fire after being struck by a mine in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian navy’s public relations office said the vessel ignored repeated radio warnings against using the southern passage through the waterway.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated the ship was trying to exit the strait through an unauthorized southern route. An explosion was triggered by the mine strike, leaving the vessel burning.
This was the fourth time a tanker caught fire in the strait since early Friday, according to the military branch. Iranian authorities have reported several similar incidents involving commercial vessels in and around the strait in recent weeks, including tankers allegedly damaged by naval mines.
Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that a vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile 40 nautical miles south of Iran’s Lavan Island at 1800 GMT. That projectile hit the port side of the vessel and caused a fire on board.
The UKMTO confirmed the crew was safe and no environmental impact was reported following the strike. It was unclear if the UKMTO incident was connected to the tanker reported by the Iranian military.
The strait connects the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and serves as one of the world’s most important maritime routes for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Maritime tensions have persisted since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on 28 February, prompting Iranian retaliation across the region.
Diplomatic efforts followed the initial escalation, including a memorandum signed by Washington and Tehran in June. Disputes over maritime security and navigation arrangements in the strait have continued.
