U.S. CENTCOM Denies Any Vessel Struck Mines as Tensions Escalate Along Key Oil Shipping Route.

On Monday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that a supertanker that was violating regulations and attempting to cross the illegal southern route of the Strait of Hormuz struck two naval mines, suffered massive fires and was left completely immobilized.

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The IRGC did not provide the vessel’s flag or say whether there were any casualties in the incident, which took place along the strategic waterway through which 20% of the world’s crude oil passed before the start of the U.S. war on Iran on Feb. 28.

Last week, the United States announced that it had cleared the Strait of Hormuz of mines. Iran, however, maintained that Hormuz has not been cleared of mines and warned against crossing the passage without its permission.

The announcement of the tanker being struck by mines came after the U.S. attacked two platforms on Iran’s Larak Island early Monday that were used to launch rockets loaded with naval mines.

Iran, which reported at least two deaths in that offensive, responded with attacks against U.S. bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

On Monday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said no ship had struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz and accused the IRGC of “intimidating commercial shipping in the region through disinformation.”

Iran closed the passage through Hormuz in mid-July following new U.S. bombings in southern Iranian territory, prompting the United States to reimpose a blockade on Iranian vessels and ports.

The United States has opened a route in the southern part of the strait near the Omani coast through which it is seeking to reopen maritime oil traffic and has launched “Operation Economic Pariah” to financially isolate Iran in an effort to force it to yield in the war, which has just entered its sixth month.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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