A supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil caught fire on Friday after striking a naval mine while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz along an unauthorized route.
Sea-news.az reports that the public relations department of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy reported the incident.
“This is the third tanker today that exploded and caught fire after navigating an unauthorized route. Carrying over two million barrels of oil, this supertanker was abandoned near the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz and continues to burn,” the statement said.
Earlier, the IRGC had reported incidents involving two other tankers that attempted transit via unauthorized lanes and were forced to stop in the southern waters of the Strait of Hormuz.
It is recalled that on July 8, U.S. President Donald Trump declared a breach of the ceasefire and ordered renewed military strikes against Iran. In response, Iran targeted U.S. military installations across the Persian Gulf region using ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. While Washington has not ruled out Iran’s eventual return to negotiations, sharp disputes regarding navigation security in the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear program, and broader strategic issues leave the peace process uncertain. Commercial maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains virtually paralyzed.
