Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: A supertanker illegally crossed the Strait of Hormuz and hit a mine and caught fire

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that a supertanker exploded and caught fire after hitting a mine in the Strait of Hormuz. The picture shows ships in the Strait of Hormuz taken from Oman on the 2nd of this month.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on the 17th that a large oil tanker that illegally passed through the Strait of Hormuz hit a mine in the Strait and exploded and caught fire. However, the IRGC did not specify the exact location of the incident.

IRGC pointed out that a supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil and trying to illegally pass through the Strait of Hormuz hit a mine and caused an explosion and violent fire. The statement did not mention the specific location of the incident.

IRGC said the tanker shut down all tracking systems and attempted to cross the strait with U.S. support. The IRGC also released video of the ship catching fire at night.

The Strait of Hormuz borders Iran to the north and Oman to the south, with a width of only about 30 kilometers at its narrowest point. Since the conflict in the Middle East broke out at the end of February this year, the Tehran authorities have blocked the strait, which is an important global energy transportation channel, and require all ships to obtain authorization before passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

IRGC naval commander Ali Ozmai warned this week that any ship that turns off its navigation system will be considered a "hostile" target.