The key facts

  • A tanker struck mines and caught fire in a restricted zone east of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Iranian Navy
  • The vessel's name, flag, and crew size have not been disclosed
  • Iran says the strait is closed to passage without coordination and accused Trump of making misleading statements

Incident near the Strait of Hormuz

An oil tanker struck sea mines in a restricted and unsafe zone east of the Strait of Hormuz and, by midday on Thursday, had sustained damage and caught fire, according to the public relations department of the Iranian Navy, in a statement cited by the Tasnim news agency. The vessel was moving through a zone closed to passage, after which it became motionless.

What is known and what has not been disclosed

The military said the vessel had violated maritime restrictions, but did not disclose its name, flag, or crew size. The Navy warned that unauthorized passage through high-risk zones seriously threatens the safety of ships and their crews, and stressed that the strait remains closed to vessels attempting to pass through restricted and unsafe areas without prior coordination. In the same statement, the Navy accused US President Donald Trump of making misleading statements about passage through the strategic waterway — these accusations are reported as claims by the Iranian side and were not independently confirmed in the publication.

Context of the restrictions

According to Anadolu, the Strait of Hormuz — a key route for global oil supplies — has experienced serious disruptions since February 28, when the United States and Israel struck Iran, triggering a regional conflict. Despite the memorandum signed on June 18 between Washington and Tehran with Pakistan's mediation, tensions over maritime restrictions and freedom of navigation in the strait persist. The Navy's statement did not provide details on the condition of the tanker's crew or the extent of the damage.