The key facts

  • The IRGC reported a fire aboard a tanker after it struck a mine in the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz
  • The tanker was described as a
  • The incident occurred a day after the British Maritime Trade Operations authority reported an explosion aboard a tanker off the coast of Oman

What happened

Iranian military from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported a fire aboard an oil tanker in the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz after it struck a naval mine. This was reported by the Iranian ISNA agency, a summary of which is cited by Gazeta.Ru. In the IRGC press release, the vessel is described as a

What remains unknown

The vessel's name, its flag, the condition of the crew, and the extent of the damage are not disclosed. ISNA notes that the incident occurred a day after the British Maritime Trade Operations authority reported an explosion in the hull of a tanker roughly 30 km east of the coast of Khasab in Oman. On the same day, there were reports of a fire and damage to several other vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The publications do not confirm any connection between these reports and the incident claimed by the IRGC.

Context

In recent months, Iranian military have repeatedly statedthat vessels which, in their words, enter Earlier, the IRGC reported incidents involving two tankers in the strait. There is no independent confirmation of the mine-strike version in available publications — it rests solely on the statement of the IRGC press service itself.