Second Super Tanker Explodes in Hormuz Strait After Collision with Naval Mine
A second super tanker exploded in the Hormuz Strait after hitting a naval mine, following a similar incident earlier the same day.
Tehran, October 17 (Daily Kiran) : The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced on Saturday that a second super tanker exploded in the Hormuz Strait after colliding with a naval mine. This incident occurred just hours after a similar event involving another tanker.
According to a statement published on the IRGC’s official news outlet, Sepah News, the explosion took place in the morning, igniting a fierce fire on the vessel, which was carrying over two million barrels of crude oil.
As reported by the Xinhua news agency, the oil tanker had turned off its GPS and radar systems while attempting to navigate an unauthorized route. The explosion reportedly occurred in the ship’s engine room, causing it to come to a halt.
Earlier that day, the IRGC Navy had reported that another super tanker, also trying to cross the strait via an unauthorized route, suffered a massive explosion after hitting a naval mine.
The IRGC stated that the explosion resulted in a significant fire on the oil tanker, which was similarly carrying over two million barrels of crude oil and had disabled its GPS and radar systems.
On Wednesday, the IRGC Navy revealed that a violating container ship attempting to traverse the Hormuz Strait through a high-risk, unauthorized route sank after colliding with a naval mine south of the strait earlier that day.
In an interview with government-run IRIB TV on Tuesday, IRGC Navy Commander Ali Azmaei stated that their forces maintain a 24-hour watch over the Persian Gulf and the Hormuz Strait, while the Gulf of Oman is under the control and surveillance of the Iranian Navy.
He warned that those who violate shipping regulations under American deception or provocation would face decisive retaliation from Iran.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pizeshkian reiterated on Friday that the country does not seek to develop nuclear weapons, dismissing anti-Iranian propaganda as false during a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) on biodiversity in Yerevan, Armenia.
