Three tankers catch fire after hitting mines in Strait of Hormuz, Iran says
An oil tanker at sea. The three tankers reported hit by mines in the Strait of Hormuz have not been identified. File photo: Kees Torn / CC BY-SA 2.0
TEHRAN: Iran’s navy and the navy of the Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that three oil tankers had caught fire after striking naval mines in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state television carried the claim, citing statements from both forces, which said two of the vessels were hit inside the strait and a third to its east.
What Iran’s statements say
The Revolutionary Guards’ navy said the two tankers inside the strait had been trying to cross without authorisation, with their navigation and automatic identification systems switched off. The statement said both “exploded and caught fire after hitting naval mines”, and that one of them was a supertanker whose flames could be seen from the shore at night. In a separate statement, Iran’s conventional navy said the third tanker, also sailing with its tracking systems off through a prohibited zone east of the strait, caught fire and was forced to stop after hitting a mine. The Guards said two more tankers turned back after warnings from its traffic control centre. Neither statement gave the tankers’ names, flags, destinations or any casualty figures.
No independent confirmation yet
Reuters said it could not immediately verify the reports, which came only from Iranian military authorities, and the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre, which monitors shipping in the region, had not confirmed the incidents. The US military has said it cleared the main shipping routes through the waterway of mines. Since war broke out between the United States and Iran in February, Tehran has insisted that vessels obtain its authorisation to cross the strait, and has attacked ships that do not comply.
Why the strait matters
The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage between Iran and Oman, carries a large share of the world’s seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas. According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, there were 37 attacks on ships in and around the strait last month, a record high since the war began. The United Nations says 25 seafarers have been killed around the strait since February.
