The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy announced on Saturday that a second supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil caught fire after striking a sea mine in the Strait of Hormuz, in a second such incident in 24 hours.
In a statement released on Sunday, the IRGC Navy said the vessel was attempting to navigate an unauthorized route after switching off all its positioning and radar systems.
The statement said the supertanker had been deceived by the “aggressor US military” into attempting the unlawful passage. The vessel struck a sea mine, triggering a massive explosion in its engine room and bringing the ship to a halt.
The announcement followed an earlier report by the IRGC Navy of a similar incident involving a supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil on Friday evening. The force said the vessel had also switched off its positioning and radar systems while attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz through an unauthorized route.
The IRGC Navy has made it clear that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and warned vessels violating Iran’s regulations governing the strategic waterway that they would “burn in the fire of trust in the US terrorist army”.
