Iran says tanker caught fire after striking sea mine east of Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Army Navy said in a statement released on Saturday that an oil tanker caught fire and was disabled after striking a sea mine in a restricted area east of the Strait of Hormuz. The statement warned that any vessel entering the prohibited zone despite prior warnings would face the same outcome.

The Army Navy expressed regret that the tanker's owners had disregarded the warnings issued. It said that by failing to learn from the fate of other vessels it described as offending, and by placing their trust in what it called the rhetoric of the US president, the owners were sending their assets into a "war of mines" and consigning them to the flames.

Earlier, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) announced that two oil tankers, which it said were violating established regulations, exploded after striking naval mines while attempting to transit an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz. The Army Navy statement on Saturday concerned a separate tanker incident in the restricted area east of the strait.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway for global oil shipments, and the incidents add to tensions around maritime traffic in the area. Iranian authorities have said the restricted zone was designated with prior warnings to shipping.

According to Mehr News, the Army Navy's statement repeated its warning that vessels entering the prohibited zone would meet the same fate as the tanker that caught fire.