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Tehran : An oil tanker struck mines while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said.
“The supertanker El Gaia, which planned to pass through a restricted zone in the southern Strait of Hormuz, was blown up after striking naval mines. Attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful,” the IRGC said in a statement on Monday.
At the same time, US Central Command (CENTCOM) dismissed the IRGC’s statement as false, claiming the tanker was struck and disabled last month by a missile allegedly fired by Iran. This weekend, Iran allegedly struck the vessel again with a drone while the ship was in waters off the coast of Oman, the command added.
On February 28, the United States and Israel began striking targets in Iran, prompting retaliatory strikes from the Iranian side. In mid-June, Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum to cease hostilities, though they subsequently exchanged strikes again. At present, the conflict remains unresolved.
The escalation of the conflict has brought shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to a near-standstill. This is a key supply route for the global market for oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas. As a result, fuel prices have risen in most countries around the world.(Agencies)
