Iranian Navy: Tanker catches fire after hitting mine
Shafaq News- Tehran
An oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in the eastern Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, Iran’s Navy said, hours after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported similar incidents involving two tankers and a tugboat.
In a statement carried by Iranian media, the Navy said the tanker had entered an “unsafe area” before hitting the mine and becoming immobilized. It also claimed the vessel had disabled its identification and navigation systems, as had other tankers reportedly struck by mines in recent days.
Two oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire overnight, according to the IRGC, which said one tanker struck a mine along an “unauthorized route” in the southern strait, while another caught fire farther east, with flames spreading to a tugboat that approached the second tanker to assist with firefighting.
Neither the Navy nor the IRGC identified the vessels, disclosed their nationalities, or reported casualties. It remains unclear whether the Navy’s announcement refers to a separate incident or one of the tankers previously reported by the IRGC.
