The Iranian military announced today that an oil tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, where Tehran frequently targets ships sailing through the strait without its permission.
Tehran claims control of this strategically important waterway, through which one-fifth of the world’s hydrocarbons passed before the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
“Early this morning, a rogue oil tanker caught fire after hitting a sea mine in the dangerous and restricted zone in the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz,” the Iranian Navy stated in a press release broadcast on state television.
Earlier, the British Maritime Security Information Service (UKMTO), which operates under the Ministry of Defense, had announced that it had received information about an “incident” involving an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that at this stage it had no information regarding the condition of the crew, nor the extent of any damage, nor the potential environmental impact.
Today, the Revolutionary Guards noted in separate statements that fires had broken out on a total of three ships while they were in the Strait of Hormuz.
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Source: APE-MPE
