US disputes Iran mine claim, says El Gaia crude oil tanker was hit by Iranian missile and drone instead
The claim by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that a Panama-flagged oil tanker recently "struck a naval mine" in the Strait of Hormuz is "false", according to the US military. In a post, the Central Command, claimed that the Panama-flagged crude oil tanker El Gaia was struck by an Iranian missile last month and "rendered inoperable". "This weekend, Iran struck the tanker again with…
The United States refutes Iran's claim that a Panama-flagged oil tanker, the El Gaia, struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, stating the assertion is false. According to the U.S. Central Command, the tanker was struck by an Iranian missile last month, rendering it inoperable. However, this claim is disputed, as the tanker has since been seen active with port calls and normal speed travel, with no evidence supporting the mine strike.
Further, Iran allegedly struck the tanker again with a drone near the coast of Oman. The ship is currently being towed by a regional partner. The IRGC's false claim is an example of their attempts to impede commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Written by urgent.news from Gulf News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 5 other outlets
- Oil tanker exploded after colliding with mines in Hormuz, Iran's Fars reports jpost.com
- Oil tanker has exploded in Strait of Hormuz, says Iran’s IRGC scmp.com
- Iran says tanker hit naval mine near Hormuz, US calls claim false israelnationalnews.com
- US military: Iran targeted oil tanker Al-Ghaya with drone off Oman english.ajel.sa
- Iran war live: CENTCOM disputes IRGC claim supertanker struck by Hormuz nav aljazeera.com
