A supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil has sunk in the southern waters of the Persian Gulf after hitting a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, as cited by AFP.
According to the statement, two oil tankers were travelling along a route that Tehran considers unauthorized. The Iranian side claims that the vessels switched off their navigation and positioning systems in order to pass unnoticed. Powerful explosions and fires followed the impacts.
“Two oil tankers travelling along an unauthorized route in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz hit naval mines, resulting in powerful explosions and fire,” the Revolutionary Guard said in its statement.Iranian authorities said that one of the vessels was the supertanker, which subsequently sank. The second tanker was reportedly engulfed in flames after the explosion. The names of the vessels, their countries of registration and the fate of the crews have not been announced.
The Revolutionary Guard also claims that the two vessels received support from the US armed forces. This claim, as well as the information about the naval mine strikes, has not been independently confirmed.
Separate report of an attack on a tanker
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said it had received information from Indian maritime authorities about an attack on a tanker in the Persian Gulf area. According to UKMTO, the crew is safe, but the extent of the damage and any possible environmental impact remain unknown. It is unclear whether this incident is connected to the two tankers described by Iran.
Tehran is restricting movement through the Strait of Hormuz and insisting that commercial vessels use routes approved by Iran. In their statements, the Iranian military describes passage along other routes as a violation.
The strait is one of the world’s most important maritime corridors for the transport of oil and liquefied natural gas. The news of the sunken supertanker comes amid heightened tensions over the security of shipping in the region, but there is currently no independent confirmation of the full scale of the incident.
Sources: arabnews.com, english.ahram.org.eg, aa.com.tr