The U.S. Central Command has challenged an Iranian statement claiming that a Panama-flagged tanker recently hit a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz. They asserted that the tanker was actually struck by Iranian weapons on two separate occasions.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that the tanker El Gaia hit a mine while passing through the Strait, which caused a fire on the ship.
CENTCOM refuted this claim.
According to the U.S. military, the El Gaia was first hit by an Iranian missile last month, rendering the tanker inoperable. Iran then launched another attack with a drone over the weekend while the ship was in waters near Oman, as stated by CENTCOM. The tanker is now being towed by a regional partner.
“The IRGC’s incorrect claim is just another example of their lies and attempts at intimidation while they try to disrupt commercial ships in the strait,” CENTCOM remarked.
This disagreement arises amid recent assessments by UK Maritime Trade Operations and the Joint Maritime Information Center, which highlight the ongoing dangers in the Strait. This is despite U.S. assertions that mines have been cleared from the established shipping routes.
The JMIC reported that three vessels were attacked in the Strait during the latest 72-hour tracking period.
On September 10, a tanker reported seeing another ship on fire about six nautical miles ahead. The captain later informed that two unidentified vessels had been struck by two unknown projectiles.
Another tanker sent a distress call late on September 12 after being hit by an unknown projectile while passing through the Strait. The tanker’s management confirmed that a severe fire broke out on board the fully loaded vessel.