A supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil exploded and caught fire after striking a naval mine while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday.
The IRGC said the vessel was attempting to cross the strategic waterway illegally using a route “not authorised by Tehran“, Iran’s state-owned Press TV reported.
In a statement, the IRGC alleged that the tanker had deliberately switched off its positioning and radar systems in an “attempt to deceive” Iranian maritime authorities.
The IRGC also warned all vessels against using the waterway, saying the Strait of Hormuz remained closed under Iran’s sovereign decisions and maritime regulations. “The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and the consequence of defying Iranian regulations in the Strait of Hormuz is burning in the fire of trust in the terrorist US army,” it said.
Iran tightens grip over Hormuz
Attacks around the waterway have increased in recent weeks. Iran has also intensified its strikes in response to the US blockade of its ports and stricter sanctions imposed last month.
Rising threats to commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz have heightened security concerns in the region. Before the war, the waterway handled about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade.
Tehran has sought to tighten its control over the strait since US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. It has restricted maritime traffic in an attempt to gain leverage over Washington.
Iran is increasingly using new tactics against vessels passing through the strait as it seeks to keep oil prices high and influence US midterm elections, two senior Iranian officials told news agency Reuters.
While Iran and the US have primarily targeted tankers, cargo and container vessels have also come under attack, been immobilised or sunk.
Multiple shipping chokepoints
Iran and the United States have exchanged proposals through intermediaries since a temporary ceasefire agreed in June collapsed.
However, efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz have stalled, with Tehran setting conditions and Washington insisting that discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme begin from the outset.
Beyond the crisis in Hormuz, the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea region, where cargo vessels have been attacked, and an offensive by Iran-backed Houthi militants along a key Red Sea shipping route are adding to threats to global security.
With inputs from agencies
