ISTANBUL (Bernama-Anadolu): Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Saturday that a supertanker struck a mine in an unsafe area east of the Strait of Hormuz, triggering an explosion and a fire aboard the vessel, Anadolu Ajansi reported.
The IRGC said in a statement that the tanker hit the mine while sailing through the area.
It did not identify the vessel or provide casualty information.
It warned ships in the region against passing through unsafe parts of the strait and urged vessels transiting the waterway to keep their tracking systems switched on.
The US and Israel began attacks against Iran on Feb 28. Tehran retaliated by targeting Israel and US assets in the region before a ceasefire agreement was reached in April.
Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz on June 18, but its implementation stalled because of disagreements over security in the strait.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU
