TEHRAN (Tasnim): A third oil tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after hitting a sea mine while attempting to use what Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy described as an unauthorized route.
The tanker, a shuttle-type vessel carrying 750,000 barrels of crude oil, tried to cross the waterway on Sunday afternoon despite warnings from the IRGC Navy, the force’s public relations office said. The vessel struck a mine, setting off an explosion and a severe fire, according to the statement. It did not say whether anyone was injured, reported by Tasnim News Agency.
In a separate warning, the IRGC Navy said vessels that switch off their navigation and identification systems in the strait would be treated as hostile and dealt with “firmly and decisively.”
The announcement came a day after the force reported that another supertanker had caught fire after hitting a sea mine while trying to leave the strait by an unauthorized route. The IRGC Navy said that vessel had switched off its navigation and positioning systems before the incident. Flames from the fire were visible to people along the coast, according to the report.
The IRGC Navy has warned that oil tankers that fail to follow its security requirements and regulations for the waterway will face consequences.
