US Denies Iran’s Claim that Oil Tanker Hit Mine in Hormuz
CENTCOM said the tanker had previously been targeted by an Iranian missile last month and was struck again over the weekend by an Iranian drone while operating off the coast of Oman
Florida: The United States military on Monday rejected claims by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that an oil tanker struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations across the Middle East, said the Panama-flagged tanker El Gaia had not hit a naval mine.
“IRGC claims a Panama-flagged oil tanker recently struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz. This is FALSE,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
CENTCOM said the tanker had previously been targeted by an Iranian missile last month and was struck again over the weekend by an Iranian drone while operating off the coast of Oman.
“The Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was struck by an Iranian missile last month and rendered inoperable. This weekend, Iran struck the tanker again with a drone while the ship was in waters off the coast of Oman,” CENTCOM said.
The US military added that the vessel was currently being towed by a regional partner.
CENTCOM described the IRGC's claim as another attempt to spread misinformation and intimidate commercial shipping operating through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Iran imposed restrictions on transit through the waterway in March following joint US-Israeli military strikes on February 28, which marked the beginning of the current regional conflict.
Earlier, Iranian state media outlet Fars News Agency, citing the IRGC, reported that an oil tanker had struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, causing an explosion and fire onboard. Fars identified the vessel as the Panama-flagged El Gaia.
The vessel is the same tanker that was attacked off the Omani coast over the weekend. Of its 14-member Indian crew, 13 have been rescued, while search operations are continuing for one missing Indian national.
