Supertanker with 2 million barrels of oil sinks after hitting mine in Strait of Hormuz
A supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil has sunk after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday.The IRGC have claimed that two oil tankers had hit mines while attempting to cross an unauthorised route in the southern part of the strait, triggering explosions and fires. The supertanker carrying two million barrels of crude oil was one amongst the two tankers reported. The claim could not be independently verified, and the Guards did not identify either vessel or disclose their country of origin.The announcement came as the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre reported a separate tanker attack in the Gulf, based on information received from Indian shipping authorities. It said the crew were safe, but the extent of damage and any environmental impact remained unknown. It was not clear whether this was one of the incidents cited by Iran.
Iran warns ships against unauthorised routes
In a statement carried by Iranian state television, the IRGC said the two tankers had struck naval mines after entering a prohibited route. It claimed the vessels had switched off their identification and positioning systems to pass through the area covertly, and alleged they had US military support.The Guards said one of the vessels, a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude, sank in the southern waters of the Persian Gulf. It did not provide further details about the second tanker.Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency separately reported that five oil tankers had struck mines and caught fire in the waterway over the preceding 48 hours. The agency said two incidents occurred near Oman’s coast, while three others were reported in the central and eastern sections of the strait.
Hormuz remains a flashpoint
Since the outbreak of the Middle East war in late February, Tehran has sharply restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that vessels use routes authorised by Iran. It has repeatedly reported attacks on ships it says attempted to transit without permission.The United States has responded with a naval blockade of Iranian ports and support for tankers seeking to cross the waterway. US Central Command said last month that it had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through the strait since the summer.The US military had also recently said it had cleared all mines from the main shipping routes through Hormuz.
