TEHRAN— A second supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil caught fire after striking a sea mine in the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced, reporting a second such incident within 24 hours.
In a statement, the IRGC Navy said the vessel had attempted to navigate an unauthorized route after switching off its positioning and radar systems.
According to the statement, the ship had been misled by the “aggressor US military” into attempting the unauthorized passage. It subsequently struck a sea mine, triggering a powerful explosion in the engine room and bringing the vessel to a halt.
The announcement followed an earlier report by the IRGC Navy of a similar incident on Friday evening involving another supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil. The force said that the vessel had also disabled its positioning and radar systems while attempting to transit the strait via an unauthorized route.
The IRGC Navy reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz was closed and warned vessels against violating Iran’s regulations governing passage through the strategic waterway.
It cautioned that ships disregarding the restrictions would “burn in the fire of trust in the US terrorist army.”
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