Illustrative: The Panama-flagged container shipping vessel Ten Neptune transits the Gulf of Oman off the UAE’s coast.
Iran says second supertanker catches fire after striking naval mine
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Saturday that a second supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil caught fire after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz.
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In a statement carried by Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC Navy said the vessel attempted to navigate what it described as an unauthorized route with its positioning and radar systems switched off.
The force said the mine triggered a massive explosion in the vessel’s engine room, bringing the ship to a halt.
The statement did not identify the tanker, its owner or its flag.
It also did not provide information about possible casualties or the extent of the damage.
Shipping in the area has faced significant disruption since the US and ‘Israel’ launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, with the conflict increasing risks for commercial vessels and driving up tanker shipping costs.
