Amidst the increasing tension in West Asia, concerns have deepened regarding the safety of oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has claimed that while passing through this sea route, three oil tankers were damaged by landmines laid in the sea. On the other hand, United Arab Emirates (UAE) government oil company ADNOC has also confirmed the attack on one of its ships. Apart from this, there is news of another tanker being attacked by an unknown object near the coast of Oman. Due to these continuously unfolding incidents, questions are being raised about the security of maritime trade and oil supply in the Gulf region.
Huge explosion in third tanker, claim of fire
According to the IRGC Navy, an oil tanker was trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz through a sea route that was not permitted by Iran. Meanwhile, the ship collided with a landmine laid in the sea and there was a massive explosion.
According to the Iranian military statement, the eastern part of the tanker caught fire after the blast. The thick smoke caused by the fire was visible far away. However, the information released by Iran did not provide any details regarding the name of the ship, its identity or the condition of the crew members on board.
Claim of destruction of American radar and navigation systems
The IRGC has made another claim saying that the US Army's coastal radar and navigation systems that guide ships in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz have been destroyed. According to the Iranian military, due to the deactivation of these systems, some tankers are now trying to pass through sea routes that have not been approved by Iran. This has increased their risk of falling prey to landmines. However, independent confirmation of these claims has not emerged.
Earlier also there was talk of explosion in two oil tankers.
Iran's IRGC Navy has earlier also claimed to have caused explosions and fires in two other oil tankers. According to him, both these ships were also attempting to pass through restricted or unapproved sea routes. During this time there were explosions and fire broke out.
Iran has not made public the names of these ships, their owners and the identities of the countries involved. Over the past few weeks, Tehran has reported several incidents of ship fires in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has blamed mines laid in the sea for some of these incidents.
Questions raised on America's claim of removing landmines
After these incidents, the discussion has also intensified on the statement of the US Army, in which it had recently said that all the mines would be removed from the Strait of Hormuz. On the contrary, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are continuously claiming that there are still mines in this sea route. There remains uncertainty about the actual security situation of the sea route amid contradictory claims from both sides.
US Central Command, which oversees US military operations, said last month that since the summer it has helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. In such a situation, increasing incidents on this important sea route have become a matter of concern for international oil supply and movement of merchant ships.