On Sunday an oil tanker caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had struck three tankers in the area.
The IRGC statement indicated that its forces had engaged three tankers, one of which was hit and subsequently ignited. The agency did not provide details about the vessels’ ownership, cargo or the extent of the damage.
The incident occurred in the narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, a strategic chokepoint through which a significant share of the world’s oil supply passes.
As of the latest reports, no further information on injuries, casualties or environmental impact has been released.
The episode adds to a pattern of heightened maritime tension in the region, where the Strait of Hormuz has long been a focal point for security concerns and geopolitical rivalry.
<small>Source: Al Jazeera — read the original story there.</small>