The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announces that an oil tanker caught fire in Hormuz after hitting a mine
Agencies2 min read
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The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced on Saturday that a fire broke out on an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz after it hit a mine in this waterway, which lies at the heart of the conflict between the United States and Iran.
The Revolutionary Guard stated in a press release that "a large violating oil tanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil hit a mine while attempting to pass illegally through the Strait of Hormuz, causing an explosion and a violent fire," without specifying the exact location where the incident occurred.
Iran has restricted navigation in this vital waterway for global energy supplies since the start of the war in the Middle East with American-Israeli strikes on it on February 28. In response, Washington imposed a blockade on Iran's ports.
Navigation in the strait and its control have become one of the main points of contention between Tehran and Washington, as the former insists on overseeing transit traffic through a route it defines, while the latter and several other parties reject this.
Since the beginning of the war, Iran has repeatedly targeted ships that attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz without obtaining its permission.
The commander of the Revolutionary Guard's naval forces, Ali Ozmaei, warned last week that any ship that intentionally turns off its tracking devices to avoid detection while crossing the strait will be considered a "hostile target."
