A crude oil tanker caught fire after reportedly striking two sea mines while passing through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday.
According to the IRGC, the vessel was attempting to cross the waterway through what it described as an “unauthorized” route when it struck the mines and was forced to stop.
A statement carried by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB said the tanker suffered fire damage following the explosions. The IRGC did not provide details about possible casualties or the extent of the damage.
The Iranian military organization has urged all vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz to comply with navigation rules and instructions issued by Tehran.
Rising tensions in the Gulf
The reported incident comes amid heightened military tensions between Iran and the United States in and around the Persian Gulf.
The IRGC has also claimed that it recently shot down a U.S. drone over the Strait of Hormuz, saying the aircraft crashed into the waters of the Gulf. Washington has not been cited as confirming the Iranian account.
Meanwhile, a U.S. official told Axios that American forces carried out strikes on two missile-launch facilities on Iran’s Larak Island on Sunday. If confirmed, the operation would mark the first reported U.S. strike on Iranian territory since July.
Iran subsequently said it launched drone and missile attacks against two U.S. military facilities in Jordan—the King Hussein and Al Azraq bases—in response to the American strikes.
The latest incidents have further raised concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor through which a significant share of the world’s oil and gas shipments passes.
