Several powerful explosions reported in the south of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday may have been triggered by oil tankers hitting naval mines, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB has reported, citing unnamed military sources.
The number of affected ships and casualties from the incident is still unknown.
Iranian military sources said the oil tankers were using “unauthorised” routes in the sea passage, according to IRIB.
The UK Royal Navy’s UKMTO maritime security agency, which acts as the primary contact point between military forces and commercial shipping, hasn’t publicly shared details of any incident on Thursday.
Last week saw the biggest number of attacks on tankers in the key waterway since the Iran war began in late February.
Between 28 September and 5 October, there were at least 12 attacks on oil, liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas tankers around the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security sources said.
Attacks, attempted attacks and harassment activity including drone overflights, surveillance and hailing using VHF radio by Iran's Revolutionary Guards have persisted in the strait, the U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said in a note on Sunday.
“These actions continue to demonstrate Iran’s intent to assert presence along key transit lanes and maintain pressure on transiting vessels,” the JMIC said.
Iran has now warned nearby countries that any attempt to open new routes for oil exports would be considered hostile, a senior regional official close to Tehran said.
“Iran has absolutely no intention of allowing control of the Strait of Hormuz to slip from its hands, and has plans ready to block routes that some regional countries have for exporting oil,” a senior diplomat in the region briefed by Tehran said separately.
“This could involve missile and drone attacks on ships, or sending boats to scare ships away,” the diplomat added.
In recent months, Gulf oil producers have rushed shipments of oil through channels that hug the Omani side of the strait before transferring the oil in open waters in the Gulf of Oman with aerial support from the U.S., sources said.
Azerbaijan has called for closer political, economic and security ties among members of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), urging greater reg...
Rescuers picked through mangled carriages on Thursday in a grim search for victims of Spain's second fatal hig...
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, whi...
Despite losing his bloc's majority in Israel's 120-seat Knesset in a hotly contested election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has managed to remain in the lead after 70 per cent of votes were tallied on Wednesday. Figures are subject to change as counting continues.
Russia and Ukraine have begun a regional ceasefire to allow the start of a humanitarian effort in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, both sides said on Tuesday, but they continue strikes elsewhere, including the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, while the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom.
Rescuers picked through mangled carriages on Thursday in a grim search for victims of Spain's second fatal high-speed train crash this year, as the death toll rose to 69 and hopes of finding further survivors faded.
At least 68 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided in Spain on Wednesday, in the second deadly rail disaster in less than a year on a major route linking Madrid with the southern Andalusia region.
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, while the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom.
Azerbaijan has called for closer political, economic and security ties among members of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), urging greater regional unity, stronger coordination and a more prominent international role for the bloc.
Afghanistan’s government has claimed progress on women’s rights, citing efforts to tackle forced marriage and inheritance disputes, after United Nations officials criticised restrictions on Afghan women and girls during a Security Council debate in New York.
Azerbaijan is expanding its tourism links with the Asia-Pacific region as more than 50 international tourism professionals gather in Baku for the PATA Hosted Buyers Summit 2026, aimed at forging new partnerships and showcasing the country's attractions.
Türkiye aims to increase bilateral trade with Kazakhstan to $15 billion and expand investment cooperation, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during talks with his Kazakh counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who was on an official visit to Ankara.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment