A crude-laden Hormuz supertanker struck a naval mine on Saturday while sailing an unauthorized route through the strait, triggering a massive explosion and fire, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy said. According to Mehr News Agency, the statement was issued by the IRGC Navy’s public relations office.
Hormuz supertanker had switched off its navigation systems
The IRGC Navy said the “law-breaching” supertanker, carrying crude oil, was using a dangerous, unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz and had turned off its navigation and positioning systems. After hitting the mine, the vessel is “burning in a huge fire,” the statement said, adding that the blaze is clearly visible to people living on the shores.
“A terrible fire is the end result of any law-breaking tanker that attempts to ignore the security and laws in the Strait of Hormuz,” the IRGC Navy warned. Iran’s official news agency IRNA also reported, citing the IRGC, that the offending supertanker was burning in the strait.
Read More: Strait of Hormuz: IRGC Hits LPG Carrier on “Illegal Route”
Second incident in two days
Mehr described the incident as “yet another” tanker hitting a mine in the strait. A day earlier, on Friday, the IRGC Navy said it had struck the LPG carrier NV Sunshine on an illegal route south of the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Washington of misleading shipping and insurance companies and fuelling tension in regional waters.
The statement did not name the supertanker or its owners, and there has been no response so far from the vessel’s operators.
Sources: Mehr News Agency, IRNA, Tasnim News Agency
About The Author
