Iran reports another oil tanker fire in restricted area east of Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Navy said Thursday that another oil tanker caught fire in a restricted area east of the Strait of Hormuz after allegedly attempting to navigate the Gulf of Oman with its tracking systems switched off. The navy's public relations office said in a statement carried by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB that monitoring teams detected the burning tanker during patrol and surveillance operations east of the strategic waterway. The vessel was attempting to cross “an unauthorized area” with its tracking systems disabled, it said. The navy did not identify the tanker, its flag or operator, or specify what caused the fire. It provided no information on possible casualties or the crew's condition. The Iranian Navy also said the Strait of Hormuz remained under the “full control and surveillance” of its forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy. The announcement came amid maritime incidents in and around the strait, where Iran has imposed restrictions on commercial shipping. The Iranian Navy reported a similar incident Tuesday involving a tanker that caught fire east of the strait after allegedly entering “a restricted area” with its tracking systems disabled. The IRGC Navy said a container ship carrying more than 2,500 containers sank Wednesday after striking a naval mine while attempting to navigate an unauthorized route south of the strait The developments come amid continued tensions between Iran and the US on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important strategic routes for energy and commodity supplies and a key issue in negotiations between the two sides. ​​​​​​​A war began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, before a ceasefire was reached in April. Clashes between Washington and Tehran later resumed as negotiations stalled, even after the two sides signed a framework agreement in June.