Iran’s navy says an oil tanker caught fire on Friday in the Gulf of Oman while attempting to pass through a restricted area east of the Strait of Hormuz with its tracking systems switched off — the latest Gulf of Oman tanker fire in a week of escalating attacks and accidents in the strategic waterway.
According to a statement from the Iranian Army Navy’s public relations office, monitoring teams detected the burning vessel during surveillance operations in the eastern part of the strait earlier on Friday. The navy said the tanker had disabled its tracking systems and was attempting to cross what Tehran calls a “prohibited area” in the Gulf of Oman, warning that uncoordinated movements through restricted routes create “insecurity and serious hazards for other vessels.”
FAKTA: What is known about the Gulf of Oman tanker fire
- What happened: An oil tanker was found on fire in a restricted zone east of the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to Iran’s navy.
- Vessel identity: The name, flag and operator of the tanker have not been disclosed.
- Crew and casualties: No information has been released about the crew’s condition.
- Cause: The cause of the fire has not been independently confirmed; Iran says the vessel was “violating” a prohibited area.
- Pattern: It is the third such tanker fire this week — Iran reported similar incidents on Tuesday and Thursday in the same zone.
Iran warns ships to coordinate transit
Iranian army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said on Friday that ships and vessels intending to pass through the Strait of Hormuz must coordinate with the Iranian armed forces beforehand so they can transit safely. He accused the United States of forcing commercial vessels through what he called an “illegal route” south of the strait, which he said was unsafe and had exposed ships and cargoes to greater risks.
The US military’s Central Command, which oversees American operations in the region, had not commented on the latest incident as of publication. CENTCOM has repeatedly disputed Iranian claims of control over the waterway, saying the US and its regional partners keep the strait’s main routes free of mines and that more than 40 commercial ships transited in the previous 24 hours.
A week of ship losses in the strait
The fire comes days after the container ship GFS Pride sank near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the Singapore-flagged vessel struck a naval mine while navigating an unauthorized route; CENTCOM said it was hit by a projectile fired by the Revolutionary Guard and sank while under tow. Singapore’s maritime authority confirmed all 21 crew members were safely evacuated.
Two days earlier, on Tuesday, Iran’s navy reported another “violating” oil tanker had caught fire after sustaining damage while attempting to cross the same restricted zone east of the strait with its tracking systems switched off.
Oil prices near record highs
The incidents have rattled energy markets. Brent crude futures settled at $109.86 a barrel on Friday — the first time above $110 at session highs since May 20 — as traders weigh mounting threats to Middle East shipping routes. Iran has restricted transit through the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Israeli war of aggression began on February 28, with daily vessel movements sharply reduced amid the naval blockade.
