The Iranian authorities have communicated that a mine has detonated as a tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to sources from the Iranian Ministry of Defense to the specialized portal Defence Press and the semi-official agency Mehr.
The explosion occurred around noon. For the moment, there is no news of casualties nor have more details about the vessel been provided, except that "it deviated from the route specified by Iran" during its transit through the strait.
The flow of vessels in Hormuz continues at historically low levels, conditioned by the double blockade applied by Iran and the United States. MarineTraffic records showed that on Friday the passage through the Strait of Hormuz was reduced to only six confirmed crossings, which represented a 60% decrease compared to the previous day.
Five of those six ships followed the unilateral plan set by Iran —the route designated by Tehran for the transit of vessels— which evidenced the persistent concentration of traffic in that specific corridor.
In parallel, the Bab el Mandeb strait recorded 49 confirmed crossings, a figure that included five authorized ships, 11 clandestine vessels, and four unofficial transits, according to data released by the Turkish official news agency Anatolia.