Iran says tanker ablaze in Hormuz after mine strike; UKMTO reports incident

Navy reports a tanker fire

Iran's navy said early on 11 November that a tanker had caught fire after hitting a naval mine in a dangerous, prohibited zone east of the Strait of Hormuz. The statement, carried by the state broadcaster, did not name the vessel or its nationality. Tehran treats ships that cross the strait without its authorisation as violators, and the navy placed this tanker in that category. Statements of this kind have become more frequent in recent weeks. The British maritime security agency UKMTO, which falls under the Ministry of Defence, reported an incident involving a tanker in the strait the same morning. UKMTO said it had no information yet on the condition of the crew, the extent of any damage or possible environmental effects.

Three tankers in two days

Revolutionary Guards announced on Tuesday, 10 November, in several separate statements that three vessels had caught fire in the strait. RTP reported that tally, while La Libre described two tankers on fire in its account of the same announcements. According to Iran International, one of the Tuesday ships was a supertanker reportedly struck by a naval mine, and the second fire had no stated cause. Separately, video verified by Reuters shows a medium-sized tanker flagged in Singapore and carrying refined products ablaze off the coast of Oman. Iran's state broadcaster IRIB, citing the Revolutionary Guards navy, said that vessel was one of three tankers hit on Sunday, 8 November, for using routes it considered unauthorised.

Why the strait is contested

Iran claims control of the strait, through which a fifth of the world's hydrocarbons passed before the war. The strait is described as one of the most important maritime arteries for global energy trade. That conflict began at the end of February with Israeli and US attacks on Iran. In response, the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and escorts tankers along the route. Washington says it has carried out most of the demining of the waterway. Iranian authorities have repeatedly said that ships attempting to cross on unapproved routes breach restrictions Tehran has set, but those assertions do not by themselves independently confirm how each incident happened.

What remains unconfirmed

Iranian announcements have not named any of the ships, their flags or their crews. No independent confirmation has been published that all three incidents were caused by mines. The sources also differ on the Tuesday count, with RTP and Greek reports citing three vessels against two in La Libre. The Sunday incident is reported only through IRIB's account. Reports so far do not say how the incidents have affected traffic through the strait or oil flows.