Iran Says a Supertanker Hit a Mine on an Unauthorised Hormuz Route
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude caught fire after striking a naval mine while crossing the Strait of Hormuz by a route Tehran has not authorised. The claim, carried by Iranian media, has not been independently verified. Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre said a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile north-east of Jubail on Friday; its crew were evacuated safely.
The claim is Tehran’s answer to mounting pressure at sea. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, says the American blockade has stopped at least $25bn of Iranian crude exports and that “Iran’s government is withholding salaries, pensions and benefits to workers in industries such as oil and energy, manufacturing, construction, security and the IRGC itself”. CENTCOM says it helped Gulf partners move more than 100 million barrels through the strait in the past week. The International Energy Agency’s October report shows Hormuz flows rising by 3.7 million barrels a day to 10.9 million, but it left its projections largely unchanged because of increased Houthi attacks. Brent settled at $109.86 on Friday.