Oil tanker catches fire after hitting sea mine in Strait of Hormuz

İran’s Army has reported that an oil tanker caught fire after striking a sea mine in a “restricted area” east of the Strait of Hormuz.

TodayPress TV reports that the Public Relations Department of the Iranian Army’s Navy issued a written statement regarding the incident.

According to the statement, the tanker had switched off its navigation and identification systems before striking a sea mine and catching fire.

The statement warned oil tanker owners that vessels attempting to pass through restricted areas with their identification systems switched off could face the risk of striking sea mines.

Meanwhile, the Naval Command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also announced that 11 oil tankers have caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz since US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Brad Cooper visited the strait.

“Over the nine days since CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper’s visit to the Strait of Hormuz on October 25, 11 oil tankers have caught fire in the strait. Some of these tankers have sunk into the depths of the sea,” the IRGC said in a written statement.

Aysel Matlab