Iran’s military says oil tanker on fire in Gulf of Oman

Iran's military reported on Thursday that an oil tanker had caught fire in the Gulf of Oman while attempting to navigate through a region designated as prohibited, according to state television. Surveillance teams of the Iranian navy's army identified the non-compliant oil tanker, which had extinguished its tracking systems as it sought to pass through the restricted zone, the statement cited by state television reported.

The circumstances surrounding the fire and the responsible party were not immediately disclosed. The US Central Command, responsible for American military operations in the region and overseeing the blockade on Iranian ports, has not yet commented on the incident. The boundaries for the prohibited zone were established by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in September, following proposals from security chief Mohsen Rezaei.

The Guards' spokesman, Hossein Mohebi, revealed during an interview with state television that the zone would encompass parts of both the Sea of Oman and the Arabian Sea, areas through which vessels could potentially reach the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has threatened sanctions against non-compliant vessels in the zone, though they have not explicitly threatened military action.

Iranian naval forces have previously targeted ships they believe to be using unauthorized routes through the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has declared closed since the US-Iran conflict began in February.