Oil tanker on fire after hitting mine in Hormuz: Iran's Guards

Iran's Revolutionary Guards reported on Monday that an oil tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz following a collision with a mine. This incident is part of a series of such accidents since Iran intensified control over the strategic waterway. The nation seized command of the strait following the outbreak of hostilities against the United States and Israel in late February, effectively blocking the crucial shipping route that typically transports around a fifth of global oil supplies.

Tehran has insisted that all vessels must obtain its authorization to pass through. According to state media quoting the Guards, the oil tanker that hit the mine was operating in an unauthorized southern route and had deactivated its positioning and navigation systems. The Guards' naval commander, Admiral Ali Ozmaei, had warned the previous day that any vessel disabling its navigation systems would be deemed hostile.

On the preceding day, two additional oil tankers had also caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, both of which had struck mines.