Iran says ‘violating’ oil tanker on fire near Hormuz

Iran's army said Thursday, October 15, that a "violating" oil tanker was on fire in the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz. It is the latest in a run of attacks on commercial shipping that Tehran describes as enforcement of its restrictions on the waterway. The army said the ship had switched off its tracking systems and "was attempting to pass through the restricted area in the Gulf of Oman," Reuters reported, via The Economic Times, citing a statement carried by Iranian state media.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Iran did not name the vessel, give its flag or cargo, or say what caused the fire. No independent maritime authority had confirmed the incident when the statement came out.

What Tehran said

Iranian state television, citing the navy, reported the fire at about 12:54 GMT. According to Al Jazeera's live coverage, the report did not identify the tanker or mention any casualties. The army said navy surveillance teams spotted the burning ship "a few hours ago, during a patrol east of the Strait of Hormuz," Ynet reported. The statement added that the strait "remains under full control and supervision" of the army's navy and the Revolutionary Guards' navy.ynetnews.com+1

A string of tanker fires

The report comes two days after a similar one. On Tuesday, October 13, Iran's army navy said a tanker caught fire east of the strait after trying to cross the restricted zone with its tracking systems off. It also said its units were watching ship movements across the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea in real time, Al Mayadeen reported. The military did not say what caused that fire either, SBS reported. Iran has repeatedly warned that ships passing without permission could hit mines or be attacked.news.sbs.co.kr+1

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on October 11 that three tankers had hit mines in the strait. Britain's UKMTO maritime agency separately reported that an outbound tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile, though it is not clear whether the two accounts describe the same incident, SBS reported. Earlier, the Guards said they had hit the engine room of the NV Sunshine on the strait's southern route. They also warned that "violating" vessels would be pursued beyond Hormuz, according to Euronews.news.sbs.co.kr+1

A contested waterway

Iran has declared a no-navigation zone in the eastern strait. Ships crossing it must coordinate with Iranian authorities in advance or face sanctions, SBS reported. Meanwhile, US Central Command said it disabled a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to "run the ongoing naval blockade against Iran," The Express Tribune reported. Roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas shipments normally pass through the strait, according to reporting carried by AOL.tribune.com.pk+2

The Iranian navy has told all ships to keep their electronic equipment switched on and to "make the necessary coordination with the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran for safe passage," Al Manar reported.english.almanar.com.lb