Three tankers were seen on fire in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards attacked oil tankers allegedly transiting without authorisation. (Img: IANS)
Tehran: Three tankers were seen on fire in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards attacked oil tankers allegedly transiting without authorisation. The Emirati state oil company ADNOC confirmed that one of its vessels “sustained damage following an attack in the UAE’s territorial waters” in the Gulf.
British maritime agency UKMTO also said that one of its tankers was “struck by an unknown projectile” off Omani coast.
Since the US and Israel attacked Iran, Tehran has put restrictions on the movement of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had made it clear that they will allow vessels authorised by the Islamic Republic.
After Iran's restrictions, the US imposed naval blockade on Iranian ports and helped tankers travel the Strait to smoothen the global supply chain, which transports about one-fifth of global oil.
“Two violating oil tankers, traveling along an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz, have been brought to a halt following massive explosions and are left burning,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement.
“A third violating oil tanker, traveling along an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz, exploded this afternoon after striking a naval mine,” it added.
In the past few weeks, Iran has made several claims stating that ships had caught fire in the Strait. As per Tehran, some vessels struck mines, however, the US military claimed that all mines have been cleared from the waterway.
The US Central Command also said last month that it had helped Gulf countries in exporting 1.5 billion barrels of oil via Hormuz since the summer. The Command oversees US military operations in the region. The Guards said on Tuesday that a super tanker had struck a naval mine, resulting in an explosion. They further said that the second tanker, which was under the escort of the US military and attempting a covert passage via an illegal route, also had an incident.
