Vessels navigate the Strait of Hormuz. [Reuters]
Vessels navigate the Strait of Hormuz. [Reuters]

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said Monday (local time) that a supertanker attempting to pass through a controlled zone at the southern end of the Strait of Hormuz struck a mine and exploded.

In a statement released through its affiliated media outlet Sepa News, the IRGC Navy said the supertanker EL GAIA, bearing maritime registration number 9325336, "struck a mine while attempting to enter the controlled zone, ignoring prior warnings about the dangers of unauthorized passage."

According to the European Quality Shipping Information System, the vessel is a Panama-flagged oil tanker with a gross tonnage of 28,799 tons.

The IRGC said firefighting efforts had failed and that "the entire tanker is currently engulfed in flames."

The statement also declared that "the Strait of Hormuz is now blockaded and is firmly under our comprehensive intelligence surveillance and control."


mokiya@heraldcorp.com