Iran says 3 tankers caught fire in Hormuz

On Sunday, three oil tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Revolutionary Guards in Iran. The Guards claimed that these incidents occurred in an illegal channel, where Tehran has frequently targeted non-compliant vessels. Since the start of the Iran war in late February, Iran has imposed strict limitations on shipping traffic through the strategic waterway, requiring vessels to utilize routes authorized by the Islamic republic.

The US has responded by imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports and assisting tankers in navigating the strait, which typically facilitates approximately one-fifth of global oil consumption. Earlier in the day, a British maritime agency reported that a tanker had also caught fire off the coast of Khasab, Oman, resulting in the evacuation of the crew.

Emirati state media claimed that 22 individuals were rescued from a burning vessel in the Gulf of Oman and were reported to be in stable condition. The Iranian state news agency IRNA also reported explosions heard in multiple locations across the country, though the cause remains unknown.