Iran's IRGC says oil tanker explodes after hitting naval mines in Hormuz Strait

TEHRAN -- The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that a super oil tanker seeking to cross the Strait of Hormuz via the "forbidden" route south of the waterway exploded and caught fire after hitting naval mines.

In a statement on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said efforts to contain the fire on the tanker, identified as "EL GAIA," were futile, and the entire vessel was engulfed in flames.

It added that warnings had been issued about the risks of using the "illegal" route in the strategic waterway, stressing that the strait remains closed and under the control of Iran's naval forces.

Earlier in the day, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), the body responsible for maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, warned insurance companies and classification societies against providing services to ships on its updated list of "violating" vessels.

In a post on its account on social media platform X, the PGSA said that insurance companies, protection and indemnity insurance (P&I) clubs, and classification societies "are warned to refrain from providing services to these vessels to avoid consequences arising from dealing with them."

Following US-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb 28, Tehran restricted passage through the strategic waterway, while US forces imposed a naval blockade targeting vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports.