Iran Claims Oil Tanker Catches Fire After Striking Mine in Strait of Hormuz

The Iranian military announced on October 27 (local time) that an oil tanker attempting to pass through the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz with its tracking devices turned off struck a marine mine, resulting in a fire.

This is interpreted as effectively refuting a recent announcement by the U.S. military that there are no longer any Iranian mines in the main trade routes of the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Russian media outlets such as RIA Novosti, the Iranian military stated in a release that "a few hours ago, an oil tanker trying to pass through a restricted and dangerous area east of the Strait of Hormuz with its location tracking device turned off hit a mine, catching fire and sustaining damage."

The Iranian military emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz remains blockaded, asserting that for oil tankers to safely transit the strait, navigation procedures must be coordinated with Iran in advance.

Previously, U.S. Central Command Commander Brad Cooper inspected U.S. military deployments in the Strait of Hormuz aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter on October 25, stating, "Thanks to the incredible efforts of our service members, the main shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz are currently safe and free of Iranian mines."

However, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that on October 23, two very large crude carriers attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz outside designated routes collided with mines, and also stated that three oil tankers collided with mines on October 20.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.