The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced this Monday, August 31st, that a supertanker suffered a major fire and was completely immobilized after colliding with two naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian elite military body indicated that the ship was violating regulations and was attempting to cross an illegal route south of the strait, a strategic passage whose control is disputed by Iran and the United States. The Revolutionary Guard did not reveal the ship's flag nor whether there were casualties.
The United States had announced last week that it had demined the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's crude oil transited before the war began, on February 28th. However, Iran assured that the strait was not demined and warned that no one cross it without Tehran's authorization. Iran closed the passage through the strait in mid-July, following new American bombings against southern Iranian territory.
The announcement of the tanker hit by the mines came after the US had attacked two platforms intended to launch rockets loaded with maritime mines that Tehran was preparing to launch in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded to this American action, which reportedly caused dead and wounded, with attacks against US targets in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The US reopened a route in the southern part of the strait, near the coast of Oman, in an attempt to resume oil maritime traffic.
