A fourth oil tanker has caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours after striking a mine, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said. According to Iran, the vessel was using a route Tehran does not authorize and was carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil.
The Navy's Public Relations Department said the crew ignored repeated warnings not to take the southern route. According to the report, the tanker hit a mine, which caused a powerful explosion and a fire on board.
The vessel ignored repeated warnings not to use the southern route.Separately, the British organization “United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations“ reported an incident with a vessel 40 nautical miles south of the Iranian island of Laban. According to UKMTO, the ship was hit by an unidentified projectile on its port side, after which a fire broke out on board.
“The crew is safe and there is no evidence of environmental damage“, the UKMTO reported.
There is currently no confirmation that the two reports refer to the same tanker. The Iranian Navy described the cause as a mine strike, while the UKMTO cited an unidentified projectile.
A series of incidents in the Strait
In recent weeks, Iranian authorities have reported several incidents involving merchant ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz. These include cases in which tankers, according to Tehran, were damaged by naval mines.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is among the main sea routes for transporting oil and liquefied natural gas. The new incident comes amid ongoing tensions over shipping rules and the security of commercial traffic in the area.
Sources: news.bg, aa.com.tr, apnews.com