Iran's IRGC says oil tanker hit mine and caught fire in southern Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy said an oil tanker struck a naval mine on Sunday evening. It is the third such incident it has reported in three days. The claim has not been independently confirmed.
STRAIT OF HORMUZ — An oil tanker caught fire after hitting a naval mine in the southern Strait of Hormuz on Sunday evening, 18 October, according to the navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The IRGC statement was carried by the semi-official Fars news agency and reported by Antara, citing Anadolu, and by Middle East Eye. The explosion hit the vessel's engine room as it tried to leave the waterway, according to Fars.
"An illicit oil tanker exploded and caught fire in its engine room after hitting a naval mine in the southern Strait of Hormuz," Fars quoted the IRGC as saying.
What the IRGC alleges
The IRGC navy said the tanker had switched off all its positioning and navigation systems from the start of its voyage. It also said the ship tried to use a southern route that Iran regards as unofficial.
The force accused the vessel of breaking maritime regulations that Iran says govern passage through the strait. Middle East Eye described these as Iran-imposed rules.
The IRGC also issued a warning to other shipping.
"If ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf switch off their navigation and identification systems, they will be dealt with severely and decisively." — IRGC navy, as quoted by Fars
What is unconfirmed
The statement did not name the tanker. It gave no information on casualties or on the extent of the damage, according to Antara. The sources reviewed do not include confirmation from the ship's owner, its flag state or any independent maritime authority. The account of the incident comes only from the IRGC, relayed through Iranian media.
Earlier incidents
The announcement followed a series of similar reports. On Saturday, 17 October, the IRGC navy said a second supertanker, carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil, hit a naval mine and caught fire. It said the ship was trying to cross the strait by a route that was not permitted.
The day before that, the IRGC reported that another tanker had struck a mine, causing an explosion and fire, according to Antara.
Background
The United States and Israel have been at war with Iran since 28 February, according to Antara. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on targets across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. The United States then imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding in June on freedom of navigation in the strait, Antara reported. Its implementation has stalled because of disagreements over security in the waterway.
The strait is a strategic shipping route out of the Gulf. Antara's related coverage included a statement by US Vice President JD Vance that domestic fuel prices would rise if the United States left the strait. The sources do not give further details of that statement.
No further official comment on Sunday's incident was available in the sources.
Sources
This report was written from the sources below and checked against at least two of them.
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