3 Tankers Catch Fire in Strait of Hormuz, Iran Cites Mine
The incident raises fresh concerns over global energy supplies on a route carrying about one-fifth of world oil consumption.
Three oil tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday (8/11), according to a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. The IRGC said the ships violated navigation rules, entered an unauthorized lane and struck mines. Iran did not give the names or nationalities of the vessels. On the same day, UKMTO reported that a tanker caught fire a day earlier off the coast of Khasab, Oman, and its crew was evacuated. The United Arab Emirates later said 22 people were rescued in that incident, but it was not immediately clear whether the cases were the same. Tensions in the strait have risen since the conflict involving Iran in late February, when Tehran tightened ship routes and the U.S. helped escort tankers through the strategic waterway.