The Iranian Navy announced this Saturday that another oil tanker caught fire after colliding with a naval mine in the east of the Strait of Hormuz, after yesterday two other ships suffered similar incidents in this strategic sea lane, whose transit has been restricted by Tehran since the start of the war with the United States and Israel.
“This morning, an oil tanker sailing through a prohibited and unsafe area in the eastern Strait of Hormuz, ignoring repeated warnings and with its navigation systems turned off, caught fire and was immobilized after colliding with a naval mine,” the Iranian naval force said in a statement reported by the Tasnim agency.
The Navy, which did not report the flag of the tanker or the extent of the damage, warned that “this will be the fate of all ships and boats that fail to comply with the warnings and navigate through prohibited areas.”
The announcement comes after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard reported yesterday that Two other oil tankers caught fire and were immobilized after colliding with naval mines when trying to leave the Strait of Hormuz via “unauthorized” routes.
Since the beginning of October, attacks and incidents with naval mines have multiplied in Hormuz, according to Tehran, amid Iranian pressure on maritime traffic and diplomatic efforts to end the war with the United States.
The Revolutionary Guard insisted yesterday that the strait will remain blocked until the United States accepts seven Iranian conditions to end the conflict.
Tehran’s demands include an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, the unfreezing of its assets in third countries, the recognition of control of Hormuz by Iran and Oman and the lifting of sanctions on its oil.
While the Islamic Republic and the United States hold indirect negotiations, mediated by Qatar, to end the war, US forces launched new “limited” range attacks last night against Iranian air defense systems on the island of Qeshm, in the Strait of Hormuz.
The attacks were the second against Iranian territory since last Septemberafter those registered last Monday against the south of the Persian country.
