CENTCOM Rejects Iran Claim That Supertanker Hit Mines In Strait Of Hormuz.
The US Central Command has dismissed an account from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that a Panama-flagged oil tanker was damaged after striking mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iranian reports, the tanker El Gaia was hit by sea mines while travelling through a restricted area south of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the vessel had entered an area where shipping was prohibited and subsequently suffered serious damage.
However, CENTCOM strongly disputed the Iranian version of events. The US military said the tanker had previously been struck by an Iranian missile and rendered inoperable, rather than being disabled by a mine. CENTCOM also said the vessel had been attacked again by an Iranian drone and was being towed by a regional partner.
The conflicting accounts have raised further concerns about the safety of commercial shipping through the waterway. The International Maritime Organization reported that the El Gaia was damaged on Saturday, although it did not establish what caused the incident. Two seafarers were also reported missing.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a major focus of the conflict because of its importance to global energy markets. Before the war, the waterway handled roughly 125 large commercial vessels a day and carried around 20 percent of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Shipping activity has now fallen sharply as vessels avoid the increasingly dangerous route.
On Monday, only four commodity vessels were recorded transiting the strait, compared with 10 the previous day, according to preliminary Kpler data. The figures may exclude some vessels whose tracking systems have been switched off to avoid detection.
The dispute over the tanker comes as diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have also suffered a setback. A planned meeting involving Iran and Gulf Arab states in Oman was postponed, while concerns over the security of the waterway and its impact on global energy supplies continue to grow.
With Iran maintaining that the strait remains under its control and the US rejecting Tehran’s account of the tanker incident, maritime security and freedom of navigation remain central issues in the escalating regional crisis. The latest dispute could further discourage commercial vessels from using the route while uncertainty over its future remains high.
Got a news story or tip to share? Contact our editorial team by emailing news@lakelandpost.co.uk or call us directly on 0333 090 2080.