Multiple oil tankers catch fire after striking naval mines in Strait of Hormuz

Five oil tankers and one tugboat caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after hitting naval mines, according to separate statements from Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the army on Thursday. The Revolutionary Guards stated that a large oil tanker struck a mine and caught fire while trying to pass south of the strait, while a second supertanker caught fire exiting the eastern side. A tugboat that came to help put out the fire on the supertanker also caught fire. The Iranian army reported that three more tankers hit naval mines in unsafe waters east of the strait, with one hit early in the morning and two more hit around noon.

Additional Incidents

Aside from the fires, Iran's Fars news agency reported that the naval electronic warfare unit of the Revolutionary Guards took control of two U.S.-developed LUCAS drones, which stands for Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System. Meanwhile, the British maritime monitor UKMTO reported that a tanker was hit by two unidentified projectiles about 90 kilometres off the north coast of Qatar, located roughly 500 kilometres west of Hormuz in the centre of the Gulf. Maritime officials have not yet confirmed these incidents.

Context

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital global shipping lane that normally carries about twenty percent of the world's oil consumption. Traffic through this strategic waterway has faced severe restrictions from Tehran since the Iran war started in late February, leading the U.S. military to blockade Iranian ports and escort tankers through the area.