Iran says oil tanker catches fire after hitting mine in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Saturday said an oil tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after hitting a mine, as tensions over maritime access to the strategic waterway continue amid a US campaign to restrict Iran’s oil revenues.

"A supertanker in violation of regulations, carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil and attempting to pass illegally through the Strait of Hormuz, struck a mine, triggering an explosion and a fierce fire," the Revolutionary Guards said.

The Guards did not identify the vessel or specify where the incident took place. They also released a video showing a vessel on fire at night.

The announcement came after US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper said on Friday that US forces had cut off Iran from maritime imports and exports, apart from permitted humanitarian assistance, as Washington stepped up pressure on Tehran’s oil revenues and military funding.

Cooper said US forces had prevented Iran from exporting at least $25 billion worth of crude oil in recent months. He also said US partners had helped Gulf countries transport more than 100 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz over the previous week.

Flanked by Iran to the north and Oman to the south, the Hormuz Strait is about 30 kilometres (20 miles) wide at its narrowest point.

Iran tightened its control over the strait after the war began in late February, demanding that vessels obtain authorisation to pass through the waterway, which normally carries around one-fifth of global oil consumption.

"The tanker attempted to cross the strait with US support... by deactivating all its tracking systems," the Guards added.

Washington has imposed a naval counter-blockade targeting Iranian oil exports.

Earlier this week, the Guards' naval commander Admiral Ali Ozmai warned that any vessel that deactivated its navigation systems would be considered "hostile".

However, Cooper said the strait remained open for business and claimed that about 400 merchant ships had transited it over the previous seven days.