Hormuz tanker hits mine and catches fire, Iran says

Iran's army said an oil tanker caught fire early Wednesday after striking a naval mine in what it called an unsafe, prohibited area in the eastern Strait of Hormuz.

The army's naval forces said the tanker had violated restrictions in the strategic waterway. They did not name the vessel or give details on its crew, ownership, cargo or damage.

Iran has restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since the Middle East war began in late February, saying vessels must use routes authorised by Tehran. The United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and has helped tankers travel through the strait, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil.

The US military recently said all mines had been cleared from the strait. US Central Command said last month that it had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil via Hormuz since the summer.

Iran has made several recent announcements saying ships had caught fire in the strait, often saying they struck mines. On Tuesday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said three oil tankers had caught fire in Hormuz.

India's shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal later said a Liberia-flagged tanker carrying Indian seafarers had been hit by a projectile in the Gulf. He said four crew members were injured, including one Indian national with minor injuries, and that the remaining 18 crew members, including five Indians, were safe.

It was not clear whether the tanker cited by India was among the vessels the Revolutionary Guards said had been hit.