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An oil tanker caught fire and was immobilized after hitting naval mines in a restricted area east of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the Iranian Navy said, adding that the strait remains closed to vessels that try to cross restricted zones without coordination.
In a statement carried by the Tasnim News Agency, the navy’s public relations office said the vessel was traveling through a prohibited and unsafe area before noon when it struck the mines. The ship was damaged and caught fire, according to the statement.
The navy said the tanker had violated maritime restrictions. It did not disclose the ship’s name, flag or the size of its crew, and no further details on its condition were given.
The navy said the Strait of Hormuz stays closed to ships attempting to pass through restricted and unsafe areas without prior coordination. It warned that unauthorized navigation through high-risk zones “seriously” endangers vessels and their crews.
The statement also accused US President Donald Trump of making misleading claims about passage through the waterway. It did not specify which claims it was referring to.
The strait, which links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, is among the world’s most important oil chokepoints, with roughly a fifth of global oil consumption typically passing through it.
Shipping there has faced severe disruptions since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, setting off a regional conflict. Washington and Tehran signed a Pakistan-mediated memorandum on June 18, but tensions over maritime restrictions and freedom of navigation through the strait have persisted.
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