Oil tanker explodes after striking naval mines in Strait of Hormuz, says IRGC

A supertanker exploded and caught fire after striking naval mines while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz through a prohibited route, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said on Tuesday.

In a statement carried by its official outlet, Sepah News, the IRGC identified the tanker as EL GAIA and said attempts to control the blaze had failed. The fire subsequently spread across the entire vessel.

The Iranian force said vessels had previously been warned about the risks of using what it described as an “illegal” route south of the strait. It reiterated that the strategic waterway remained closed and under the control of Iran’s naval forces.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), which oversees maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, warned insurers and classification societies against serving ships included on its revised list of vessels allegedly violating navigation restrictions.

In a post on X, the authority urged insurance providers, protection and indemnity clubs, and classification societies to withhold services from the listed ships. It also warned of unspecified consequences for organisations continuing to deal with them.

The latest incident follows the IRGC’s claim earlier this month that its naval forces had attacked a US unmanned surface vessel near the entrance to the strait.

According to the IRGC, the Saildrone Explorer-type vessel had been carrying out an “aggressive mission” when it was targeted. It said such unmanned vessels had previously been operated in the region by the US Fifth Fleet and Task Force 59, both headquartered in Bahrain.

The IRGC claimed the vessels were now being used by a unit based in Khasab, Oman, after the US naval base in Bahrain was targeted in Iranian strikes. It again warned that any presence it considered hostile in the Strait of Hormuz would be attacked.

Tehran imposed restrictions on passage through the waterway following US-Israeli strikes against Iran on 28th February. US forces subsequently enforced a naval blockade targeting vessels travelling to and from Iranian ports.

With IANS inputs