The explosion was in the engine room. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the tanker was travelling in what they called the strait's "unauthorized southern route" and had switched off its positioning and navigation systems, Hellenic Shipping News, citing AFP, reported.
That detail is the whole dispute in one line. Iran took control of the strait after war broke out with the United States and Israel in late February and now demands that every ship seek its authorization to pass. The Guards' naval commander, Admiral Ali Ozmaei, warned this week that any vessel deactivating its navigation systems would be treated as "hostile". None of the reports I read independently confirms that a mine caused this fire.
Key numbers
- 12 attacks on commercial vessels recorded by UKMTO in the week ending October 16, including 10 inside the Strait of Hormuz, one in the Persian Gulf and one in the Gulf of Oman
- 153 confirmed maritime security incidents across the region since March 1, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center, a count that predates the latest strikes
- 217 vessels anchored near Fujairah and Khor Fakkan on October 18, with another 166 between Dubai and Jebel Ali and Ras Al Khaimah
- About a fifth of the world's oil normally moves through the strait
Mine claims, projectile reports
The Guards have made the same claim repeatedly. They said two tankers caught fire after hitting mines the day before Monday's incident, and on Tuesday said a supertanker had caught fire after striking a mine south of the strait, gCaptain reported. An earlier claim on October 17 that two supertankers had struck mines was described by the Joint Maritime Information Center as unsubstantiated.
What the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations has reported is different in kind. UKMTO said a tanker was struck about 11 nautical miles west of Bukha, Oman, at 0145 UTC on October 21; the fire aboard was extinguished, the vessel is at anchor and all crew are safe. A second tanker reported being struck about 30 nautical miles southeast of Al Faw, Iraq, at 1830 UTC on October 20, with no damage and all crew safe. Neither vessel was identified, and UKMTO did not attribute either strike. Both warnings describe unidentified projectiles, not confirmed mine explosions.
The attacks are moving beyond the strait
On October 16, two tankers were attacked near Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia, one of them by a rocket-propelled grenade fired from a small boat; the crew of the other evacuated. On October 18, a tug about 20 nautical miles northeast of Khor Fakkan, UAE, was hit by two projectiles, sustaining damage and one minor crew injury. The Joint Maritime Information Center then raised the threat level for the wider Persian Gulf to SUBSTANTIAL, citing the spreading pattern and growing electronic interference with navigation, and warned that ships sitting still while broadcasting AIS signals face a higher risk of being targeted.
In plain words: a chokepoint is a narrow stretch of water that a large share of world trade has to pass through, and the Strait of Hormuz is the busiest one for oil. When ships there are damaged, insurance and freight costs for that route rise and some owners route or wait elsewhere, which is why crude markets watch each incident even when the barrels themselves keep flowing.
The pressure runs both ways. The United States has imposed a naval counter-blockade on Iranian oil exports, and Iran's main loading terminals have stood empty for weeks, gCaptain reported.