The vessel, a shuttle tanker carrying 750,000 barrels of crude oil, attempted to pass through an unauthorized route despite warnings from the IRGC Navy, resulting in an explosion and severe fire, the statement said.
Earlier, the naval force reported that a supertanker carrying crude oil had exploded after hitting a sea mine while attempting to leave the strait through an unauthorized, high-risk route.
Insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz intensified following US-Israeli attacks on Iran in February 2026, raising concerns over maritime safety along the strategic waterway, a vital route for global oil shipments.
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