The Iranian Navy reported this Tuesday that a tanker has been involved in a fire after colliding with naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz while trying to cross the area through "a prohibited and dangerous zone," with no possible victims communicated so far.
"A few hours ago, a tanker operating irregularly, having deactivated its tracking systems and trying to cross a prohibited and dangerous zone in the east of the Strait of Hormuz, struck naval mines, resulting in damage and catching fire," it stated, according to the Iranian public television network, IRIB.
Military authorities have insisted that the Strait of Hormuz constitutes "an unsafe area" and that "it is closed to those vessels attempting to transit illegally and without proper coordination" with Tehran. "To ensure safe passage, it is necessary to carry out the relevant coordination with the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, a key corridor for the transport of crude oil from the Persian Gulf to numerous countries, and has emphasized that it is only considered safe to cross by following the routes authorized by its Armed Forces. The United States, on the other hand, maintains that there is no blockade in Hormuz because it retains military control of the strait, although its deployment is limited to the outer part of the passage.