Iranupdated 2h ago2 min read
Iran’s IRGC Navy Says Oil Tanker Caught Fire After Striking Mine in Strait of Hormuz
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IRGC Navy says oil tanker struck a naval mine and caught fire in southern Hormuz. Vessel had switched off navigation systems and was crossing an unauthorized southern route.
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Mine Strike in Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said an oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, with the blast striking the vessel’s engine room as it attempted to leave the waterway. The tanker had switched off all its positioning and navigation systems from the start of its voyage and attempted to use what Tehran considers an unauthorized southern route.
Iran’s Guards said the tanker was in violation because it disabled its positioning and navigation systems and was traveling on the strait’s "unauthorized southern route," resulting in an explosion and a fire in the engine room. The IRGC Navy 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, while the statement did not identify the tanker or provide information on possible casualties or the extent of the damage.
Warnings and Prior Incidents
Iran’s IRGC Navy said any ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf that turn off their navigation and identification systems will be dealt with severely and decisively. The announcement followed a series of similar incidents, including an IRGC Navy claim on Saturday that 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 through an unauthorized route.
The violating tanker caused an explosion and a fire in its engine room while trying to exit the Strait of Hormuz and attempting to cross the unauthorized southern route in disregard of regulations. Iran seized control of the strait after war broke out against the United States and Israel late February, choking off a vital shipping route that normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil.
Closed Waterway Stakes
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the tanker incident came as Tehran tightened its grip of the waterway and demanded that all ships seek its authorisation before transiting. Admiral Ali Ozmaei warned that any vessel that deactivated its navigation systems would be considered "hostile," while the United States imposed a naval counter-blockade on Iranian oil exports in response to Tehran’s blockade on the waterway.
NewsNation said the IRGC Navy reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and that transit through the waterway remains prohibited after an oil tanker exploded and caught fire after striking a naval mine. NewsNation also said the U.S. military developed strike plans that could include the use of its most powerful nonnuclear bomb, the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, also known as the "mother of all bombs," and that no final decision has been made on whether military operations will resume.