Iran Says Oil Tanker Caught Fire in Gulf of Oman

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iran’s military said on Thursday that an oil tanker caught fire in the Gulf of Oman while attempting to pass through a maritime zone Tehran has designated as prohibited, according to Iranian state television.

“A few hours ago ... surveillance teams of the army’s navy identified a non-compliant oil tanker that had caught fire,” state television quoted a military statement as saying.

The statement said the tanker had switched off its tracking systems and was attempting to navigate the prohibited zone. It did not provide further details about the incident.

The cause of the fire and those responsible were not immediately clear. The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the region and is enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports, did not immediately comment.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the boundaries of the prohibited maritime zone in September, following a proposal by security chief Mohsen Rezaei.

At the time, IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebi told state television that the zone would cover “part of the Sea of Oman and another part of the Arabian Sea, along the route that can lead to the Strait of Hormuz.”

Tehran had warned that vessels failing to comply with its restrictions would face sanctions, although it did not explicitly threaten military action against them.

Iranian naval forces have repeatedly targeted vessels they accused of using unauthorized routes through the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran declared closed following the outbreak of war with the United States in February.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important global shipping route connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Disruptions to maritime traffic in the area have raised concerns over regional security and international energy supplies.