Hormuz Mine Blasts Set 2 Oil Tankers Ablaze, Iran Says
(MENAFN) Two oil tankers hit naval mines and burst into flames south of the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy of Iran said early Sunday.
In a statement, the force said the vessels tried to slip through the waterway undetected on a route it deemed unauthorized, with their navigation and automatic identification systems turned off. It said the mine strikes set off explosions and large fires aboard both tankers.
The statement did not name the vessels or say whether anyone was hurt.
The announcement follows a similar report on Friday, when the Guard’s naval arm said two oil tankers struck mines and caught fire while trying to use an “unauthorized route” through the southern part of the strait. It also cautioned shipping companies against attempting transit without coordinating with its maritime traffic control center.
The incidents come as tensions between Iran and the US persist over passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic channel for global energy and commodity supplies. Navigation through the strait has also been a central issue in talks between Washington and Tehran.
The war began on Feb. 28 with US and Israeli attacks on Iran, and the sides reached a ceasefire in April. Fighting between Washington and Tehran later resumed as negotiations stalled, even though the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in June.
In a statement, the force said the vessels tried to slip through the waterway undetected on a route it deemed unauthorized, with their navigation and automatic identification systems turned off. It said the mine strikes set off explosions and large fires aboard both tankers.
The statement did not name the vessels or say whether anyone was hurt.
The announcement follows a similar report on Friday, when the Guard’s naval arm said two oil tankers struck mines and caught fire while trying to use an “unauthorized route” through the southern part of the strait. It also cautioned shipping companies against attempting transit without coordinating with its maritime traffic control center.
The incidents come as tensions between Iran and the US persist over passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic channel for global energy and commodity supplies. Navigation through the strait has also been a central issue in talks between Washington and Tehran.
The war began on Feb. 28 with US and Israeli attacks on Iran, and the sides reached a ceasefire in April. Fighting between Washington and Tehran later resumed as negotiations stalled, even though the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in June.
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