2 tankers caught fire after hitting naval mine in Hormuz, Iranian navy says
Iran's navy said Saturday that two oil tankers caught fire in the eastern Strait of Hormuz after hitting a naval mine. "Fire and explosions are the fate of tankers involved in illegal activities that have turned off their tracking systems and are operating in restricted areas,” the navy said in a statement carried by Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency. The statement did not identify the tankers, their flags or the extent of the damage.
There was no immediate independent confirmation of the incident. The Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping route connecting the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, has faced repeated disruptions since the US-Israeli military offensive against Iran began on Feb. 28. Iranian forces have previously reported similar incidents involving commercial vessels entering restricted waters, while tensions over maritime access and the US naval blockade remain central to diplomatic efforts between Tehran and Washington.
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article says only that Iranian forces have 'previously reported similar incidents involving commercial vessels entering restricted waters'. It never says, as Reuters and Al Arabiya did about the same event, that Iran has imposed restrictions on shipping and has attacked ships it says broke them. Without this a reader may take earlier incidents as accidents Iran merely reported, not as actions by Iranian forces.
How we know
- Reuters reported“has attacked ships it says violated those restrictions”Iran's navy says oil tanker on fire after hitting mine in Hormuz (opens in a new tab)
- Al Arabiya English reported“Iran has imposed restrictions on vessels seeking to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and has attacked ships it says violated those restrictions”Iran’s navy says oil tanker on fire after hitting mine in Hormuz (opens in a new tab)