TEHRAN (Tasnim): A large liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier caught fire after being struck while trying to pass through a route south of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy said Friday, reported by Tasnim News Agency.
The IRGC Navy identified the vessel as the NV Sunshine, owned by Vietnamese company Nhat Viet. It said the ship was hit while attempting to use what it called an unauthorized passage. The strike caused a large fire in the vessel’s engine room and propulsion system, according to the statement.
The force said its naval units were enforcing control over the strait in line with an order from Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, and what it described as the Iranian people’s demand for sovereignty over the waterway.
The statement warned that the IRGC would not allow “aggressor armies” to operate in the area and would respond firmly to attempts to challenge its control of the strait.
It blamed the US military for the incident and for rising tensions affecting regional shipping. The IRGC alleged that Washington had interfered with shipping and insurance companies and paid bribes to influence them. It warned that similar incidents would become more likely if US involvement continued.
The navy also said companies it believes were misled by the United States could face sanctions, while vessels belonging to companies found to have violated its rules could be punished.
Enforcement, the statement added, would extend beyond the Strait of Hormuz. Any vessel using a passage the IRGC considers unauthorized could be pursued across the region, it said, warning that punishment would be certain.
The statement did not provide independent evidence for its account of the incident or its allegations against the United States.
