Iran warns tankers after reported mine strike

TEHRAN: Iran’s navy warned tankers on Saturday to stay out of a restricted area east of the Strait of Hormuz after it said an oil tanker struck a naval mine there. The navy said the ship had entered the area despite earlier warnings.

Iran’s state news agency ISNA reported that the tanker had turned off systems used to identify and track it. The navy warned that other tankers entering the area could face the same danger. The report gave no details about the crew.

Hours earlier, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy said two oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines while trying to cross the southern part of the strait without permission. Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported the claim. It was unclear whether the tanker in the later warning was one of those two vessels.

The Revolutionary Guard urged shipping companies to contact its traffic control centre before crossing. Iran imposed limits on shipping through the strait after the United States and Israel began a military campaign against the country on Feb. 28. Tehran says ships must get permission from Iranian authorities to pass safely.

The Strait of Hormuz carries a large share of the world’s oil.