Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said Monday that the oil tanker EL GAIA struck a naval mine while attempting to pass through what it called a restricted area south of the Strait of Hormuz, causing an explosion and a major fire, APA's bureau in Tehran reports.
The IRGC Navy Command said efforts to contain the blaze had failed and that the entire vessel was engulfed in flames. It said warnings had previously been issued about the dangers of using what it described as an “illegal passage.”
“The Strait of Hormuz is closed and remains under our smart control,” the IRGC Navy said.
The Panama-flagged EL GAIA, IMO number 9325336, is a 180-meter oil tanker with a deadweight of about 48,000 tons, according to ship registry data.
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