Iran’s IRGC says ‘violating’ oil tanker hit in Hormuz Strai

Tehran: The navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early Friday a “violating” oil tanker that sought “illegal” passage through the Strait of Hormuz was struck the previous night and brought to a halt.

In a statement published on the IRGC’s official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said the Togo-flagged oil tanker, named “Trend,” was stopped after it caught fire following the strike.

The vessel attempted to cross the strait “illegally” after being “deceived and provoked” by the US Army, it said, warning that attempting illegal passage through the waterway will lead to nothing but “destruction,” Xinhua news agency reported.

The navy added that its forces are still in control of the Strait of Hormuz with strength and will not let passage by any “aggressor.”

Iran tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.

Earlier, IRGC said that a super oil tanker seeking to cross the Strait of Hormuz via the “forbidden” route south of the waterway exploded and caught fire after hitting naval mines.

In a statement on the IRGC’s official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said efforts to contain the fire on the tanker, identified as “EL GAIA,” were futile, and the entire vessel was engulfed in flames.

It added that warnings had been issued about the risks of using the “illegal” route in the strategic waterway, stressing that the strait remains closed and under the control of Iran’s naval forces.

Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), the body responsible for maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, warned insurance companies and classification societies against providing services to ships on its updated list of “violating” vessels.

In a post on its account on social media platform X, the PGSA said that insurance companies, protection and indemnity insurance (P&I) clubs, and classification societies “are warned to refrain from providing services to these vessels to avoid consequences arising from dealing with them.”

–IANS