Iran claims oil tanker struck mine and exploded in Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that an oil tanker caught fire and exploded after hitting a naval mine in the southern Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. The IRGC claimed the vessel had disabled its navigation and identification systems in violation of Iranian regulations, and warned that other ships doing so would face severe consequences.
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Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy reported on Sunday that an oil tanker caught fire and exploded after striking a naval mine in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Fars news agency, the IRGC alleged that the vessel had violated Iranian-imposed regulations by switching off its navigation and identification systems while passing through the strategically important waterway.
The IRGC statement described the incident as involving "an illicit oil tanker" that exploded in its engine room after hitting the mine. The military organisation further warned that any vessel navigating the Strait of Hormuz or the Persian Gulf with its tracking systems disabled would be "dealt with severely and decisively."
The incident increases tensions in one of the world's most critical oil transit corridors, through which a significant proportion of global seaborne crude oil passes. However, no independent confirmation of the tanker's identity, nationality, or any casualties was immediately available, and all claims about the cause of the explosion come solely from Iranian military and state-affiliated media sources.
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