Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed Friday that a supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil struck a naval mine, exploded and caught fire while using an unauthorised route in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported.
The Guard said it was the third oil tanker to explode and catch fire Friday after attempting to use unauthorised routes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly warned vessels against passing through the strait without Tehran’s permission.
It has claimed responsibility for attacks on ships which it accused of using unauthorised routes and said others struck mines laid early in the war.
The Guard’s navy said last month that vessels attempting to pass through the strait without authorisation would face “destruction.” Tehran has asserted control over much of the waterway since the US and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28.
The US military denies the naval mines claims, saying that all internationally recognised, primary transit routes through the critical waterway have been cleared of sea mines by US forces.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Friday that the supertanker had been abandoned at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz and remained on fire.
The report did not identify the vessel or provide details about its crew.
The AP could not independently verify those claims.
Earlier Friday, the Guard’s navy said two other tankers caught fire after striking mines in the strait, Iranian state TV reported.
They claimed the vessels had switched off their navigation and positioning systems, attempting to leave through unauthorised routes with US military support and ignored repeated radio warnings.
The British military reported earlier Friday that a tanker caught fire after a small boat attached two explosive devices to its hull while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, temporarily disabling the vessel.
It is unclear if the incident is related to the fires that Iran claimed.
