Iran says an oil tanker struck a naval mine near the Strait of Hormuz, while CENTCOM says the vessel was hit by an Iranian missile and drone.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy claimed on Monday that an oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine while attempting to pass through what Tehran described as a restricted area south of the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC said the resulting blaze could not be contained and had spread throughout the vessel.
The IRGC Navy Command said the ship had previously been warned about the dangers of using what it called an “illegal passage."
“The Strait of Hormuz is closed and remains under our smart control," the IRGC Navy said.
The vessel, the Panama-flagged EL GAIA, is listed as a 180-meter oil tanker with a deadweight of approximately 48,000 tons.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) rejected Iran's account, saying the tanker did not strike a naval mine. CENTCOM said the vessel had already been damaged in an Iranian attack last month and was struck again over the weekend.
In a post on social media, CENTCOM said, “The Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was struck by an Iranian missile last month and rendered inoperable. This weekend, Iran struck the tanker again with a drone while the ship sat in waters off the coast of Oman."
CENTCOM added that the tanker was “currently being towed by a regional partner." (Read More)