A supertanker caught fire Sunday when it was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, officials said, just hours after the United States struck a ship trying to break its naval blockade of Iran.
The attacked supertanker, which was not immediately identified, was hit on the port side, causing a fire, according to UK Maritime Commercial Operations.
While the attack remains under investigation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed the tanker hit one of its naval mines and exploded.
The IRGC shared a video of the tanker burning in the water while reiterating its threats against any ship attempting to cross the strait without its permission.
“A devastating fire is the fate of any tanker that violates the rules and does not respect security in the Strait of Hormuz,” the military unit said in a statement.
Iran has launched near-daily attacks across the strait in recent weeks as crude oil continues to flow near pre-war levels under U.S. military escort, undermining Tehran’s control over the maritime chokepoint.
At least 11 oil tankers were attacked in the week ending October 4, the highest number of strikes against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz since the war began on February 28, according to the United Nations International Maritime Organization.
Ten more strikes took place last week, including one on Monday that injured 12 Indian sailors aboard the UAE-owned oil tanker On Peace.
The latest attack came just hours after U.S. Central Command confirmed it had neutralized a commercial cargo ship that attempted to enforce the U.S. naval blockade of Iran.
“A U.S. military fighter jet struck the stern of the Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica (also known as “Arika Sun”) with a precision munition, completely disabling the ship’s propulsion without harming the crew,” CENTCOM wrote in a statement.
The ship was believed to have docked at an Iranian port and was attempting to leave the region for international waters, CENTCOM added.
US forces have neutralized four ships and returned 135 others since renewing their naval blockade three months ago.
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