Another ‘violating’ oil tanker catches fire near Strait of Hormuz: Iran’s army
The Iranian Army's Navy says another “violating” oil tanker has caught fire in the Sea of Oman, east of the Strait of Hormuz.
On Friday, the public relations office of the Iranian Army's Navy said in a statement that the Navy's monitoring teams detected and identified a “violating” oil tanker that had caught fire within “a prohibited area”, east of the Strait of Hormuz, earlier in the day.
“This violating oil tanker had also switched off its tracking systems and was attempting to pass through a prohibited area in the Sea of Oman.”
The statement stressed that "uncoordinated movements along prohibited routes and areas result in the creation of insecurity and serious hazards for other vessels."
🔴 Iranian Navy announced that an oil tanker violating maritime restrictions caught fire in a restricted area east of the Strait of Hormuz after switching off its tracking systems and attempting to navigate through the area.
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) October 16, 2026
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On Tuesday and Thursday, the Navy detected two other "violating" oil tankers that caught fire east of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia on Friday warned vessels’ owners that they must coordinate with the Iranian armed forces to ensure their safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Ships and vessels intending to enter the region and pass through the Strait of Hormuz must coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran prior to [their] entry, so that they can pass through this waterway safely,” Akraminia stated.
He noted that the US has been forcing vessels to pass through an illegal route located south of the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks.
“This route is unsafe and unsuitable, and some ships that have passed through it have sustained damage,” the spokesman said, warning that these US actions have exposed commercial vessels and their cargoes to more risks.
Meanwhile, he stressed that vessels which made the necessary coordination with Iranian forces have managed to pass through the strategic waterway “easily” and “succeeded in importing or exporting their cargoes and goods via this route.”
Iran has restricted transit through the Strait of Hormuz since the early days of the US-Israeli war of aggression, which began on February 28.
Tehran has repeatedly maintained that any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz or resumption of normal maritime traffic is strictly contingent upon Washington ceasing its military aggression, lifting its naval blockade, and formally recognizing Iran’s sovereign rights and strategic red lines.
The US and Israel launched another round of aggression against Iran on February 28, some eight months after carrying out unprovoked attacks on the country.
Iran swiftly retaliated by launching barrages of missiles and drones at the Israeli-occupied territories, as well as US bases and interests across the region.