The key facts

  • The tanker caught fire after hitting a mine in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC reports
  • According to the IRGC, the vessel had switched off its navigation systems and was traveling along an unauthorized route
  • This is the third such incident in the strait over the weekend

Incident in the strait

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy reported on Sunday evening that an oil tanker struck a naval mine in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, after which a fire broke out on board the vessel. According to the semi-official Fars news agency, citing a statement by the IRGC Navy, the explosion occurred in the engine room as the vessel was attempting to leave the strategic waterway.

IRGC claims

According to the Iranian military, the tanker had switched off all positioning and navigation systems from the very start of its voyage and attempted to use a route that Tehran considers unauthorized. The IRGC accused the vessel of violating the rules of passage through the strait and warned that vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf with navigation and identification systems switched off would receive a 'harsh response.' The statement did not name the vessel, and there is no information about casualties or the extent of the damage.

Series of incidents

This is already the third such case in several days. On Saturday, the IRGC Navy reported that a second supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil struck a mine and caught fire while attempting to cross the strait along an unauthorized route. A day earlier, the Iranian military had reported a tanker that ran into a mine, causing an explosion and fire.

Context

The United States and Israel began a war against Iran on February 28; Tehran responded with missile and drone strikes across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington later imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports. In June, the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on the issue of freedom of navigation in the strait, but its implementation stalled due to disagreements over security matters on this strategic waterway.