Iran's seven-day Hormuz offer puts US on the clock

Iran's Revolutionary Guards reported on Saturday that an oil tanker was ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz following a collision with a mine. The incident occurred as Tehran tightened its grip on the strategic waterway, which had only recently fallen under its control. The passage, through which approximately one-fifth of global oil supplies pass, is a vital conduit for oil trade.

According to the Guards, a supertanker, carrying over two million barrels of crude oil and breaching regulations, attempted an illegal passage through Hormuz. The vessel struck a mine, resulting in an explosion and a raging fire. The Guards did not provide precise details regarding the exact location of the incident. Positioned between Iran to the north and Oman to the south, the Strait of Hormuz is roughly 20 miles wide at its narrowest point.

Following their seizure of control over the strait, Iran has mandated that all ships obtain authorization before navigating through it. In reference to Tehran's blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, the United States has retaliated with its own naval counter-blockade against Iranian oil exports. Recently, Iran's navy commander, Admiral Ali Ozmai, cautioned that any ship disabling its navigation systems would be deemed "hostile."