The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has attacked an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessel turned off its navigation system and ignored warnings from the Iranian Navy. This is reported by DPA, quoted by News.bg. According to the Iranian news agency “Tasnim“ this is the third such attack in the last two days.
The Iranian authorities have not specified the name, flag or operator of the tanker. It has not been specified how the vessel was hit. The claim of the attack is based on information released by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and cited by the media.
Video shows explosion of supertanker
A day earlier, Iranian media released a video that allegedly shows an explosion of a supertanker in the strait. According to the Iranian version, the ship probably hit a naval mine. The publication also states that the mines are fired with missiles directly in front of the tankers.
In recent days, the Iranian military has stepped up its actions against shipping in the strategic waterway. The targets of the attacks are usually tankers and cargo ships that use the southern route near the coast of Oman.
US escorts commercial ships
For several months, the US Navy has been escorting civilian commercial ships in the area to help resume supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas. Iran considers this route illegal and insists that the ships pass close to the Iranian coast.
Since the start of the war in late February, Tehran has largely blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz through threats and attacks on vessels. At the same time, the US armed forces have also repeatedly attacked Iranian civilian ships, the publication states.
At its narrowest point, the Strait of Hormuz is about 35-40 kilometers wide. Due to the series of attacks and mutual threats, it has become the main point of tension between Iran and the United States in the war.
Sources: news.bg