Explosion Reported on Oil Tanker in Strait of Hormuz; Iran Reports Sea Mines

In depth

The captain of a tanker that crossed the Strait of Hormuz reported an explosion near the waterline on the left side of the vessel, about 16 nautical miles east of Khasab in Oman. According to the UKMTO agency, the tanker is continuing its voyage under its own power and all crew members are safe.

The Iranian navy said an oil tanker caught fire in the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz. Later, Iran claimed that a tanker had hit a sea mine and caught fire, and that two tankers had dodged mines near the strait.

The Iranian navy claimed that an oil tanker hit a sea mine and caught fire east of the Strait of Hormuz, and that the tanker sailed in a forbidden area after disabling its identification systems. Three oil tankers have caught fire in Hormuz since the morning hours, and the transport of oil through the southern route of the strait has now been halted.