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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says a ship carrying liquefied natural gas has exploded after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions over access to the strategic waterway continue.
In a statement on Friday, the Guards claimed the vessel attempted to pass through a route south of the strait without Iranian authorisation before hitting a mine.
They did not identify the ship or disclose its country of origin.
“A few hours ago, a ship carrying liquefied natural gas east of the Strait of Hormuz tried to cross an unauthorised passageway south of the strait, but was hit by a naval mine and exploded violently,” the Guards said.
Since the Middle East war began in late February, Tehran has demanded that vessels obtain its approval before navigating the strait and has attacked ships it says failed to comply.
The United States has responded by imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports and providing military protection for tankers travelling through the key shipping corridor.
Iranian forces have reported several fires and explosions involving vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, repeatedly attributing the incidents to naval mines.
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However, the US military has said it has cleared the main shipping routes through the waterway of mines.
In a separate development, the Revolutionary Guards claimed overnight that they had struck a US early-warning radar system in Bahrain, a Gulf ally that hosts American military facilities.
Neither the United States nor Bahrain has confirmed the reported attack.
