Oil tanker hits naval mine in Strait of Hormuz, Iran says

An oil tanker struck a naval mine while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, triggering an explosion in its engine room, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has said.

The IRGC Navy said on Sunday the supertanker, which can carry around two million barrels of oil, was attempting to transit the strategic waterway with its navigation system switched off.

It was the third vessel to strike naval mines along what the IRGC described as a prohibited route through the strait since Saturday, the statement added.

The navy did not identify the vessel or disclose its nationality or flag.

It reiterated its warning that vessels switching off their navigation systems while crossing the waterway would be classified as “hostile vessels”.

The announcement came after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in late August that international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz had been reopened following the removal of Iranian naval mines by US forces.

Iran announced on July 12 that it had again closed the strait after the United States resumed attacks on July 8.

Tehran has threatened to target vessels using routes other than those designated by Iranian authorities or attempting to cross the waterway without permission.

The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28.

Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Washington to impose a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The two sides subsequently signed a memorandum of understanding in June concerning freedom of navigation through the strait, but its implementation stalled over disagreements about security in the strategic waterway.