The authorities of Iran have communicated this Sunday that a tanker has suffered a new impact against a naval mine while trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz without the permission of Tehran, in an area where the country has tightened control over maritime traffic.
According to the Navy of the Revolutionary Guard, the vessel was heading towards the southern route of the strait, a maritime corridor that is not authorized by Iranian authorities. "It did not pay attention to the regulations of the Strait of Hormuz and attempted to cross through the southern route, which is not authorized, causing this accident," the Navy of the Revolutionary Guard reported in an official statement.
The Iranian agency has detailed that the tanker was sailing with all its positioning and navigation systems disconnected since the beginning of the journey, a practice that Tehran considers especially dangerous in this strategic passage. "If the vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf turn off their navigation and identification systems, they will face a severe and determined response," it has warned.
Iran has imposed restrictions on the passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz in response to the bombings by U.S. and Israeli aviation on its territory. These measures have contributed to driving up international oil prices, given that it is a fundamental corridor for the exit of crude oil from the Middle East to global markets. In parallel, attacks have been recorded in the vicinity of Bab el Mandeb linked to the activity of Houthi militias, allies of Iran, which adds more tension to the energy routes of the region.