IRGC says supertanker ablaze after striking mines in Hormuz Strait
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that the supertanker Algaya caught fire after hitting naval mines while attempting to cross a restricted area south of the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC navy identified the vessel as the Algaya and said the ship was set alight after striking mines in a prohibited zone near the southern entrance of the Strait of Hormuz. Efforts to extinguish the blaze were unsuccessful, leaving the tanker fully engulfed. The corps reiterated its warning to ships against using the route and confirmed ongoing monitoring of the waterway.
Why it matters
The blaze underscores the danger to global oil shipments passing through the geopolitically sensitive Strait of Hormuz.
How this story developed
- Jul 20 U.S. and Iran intensify air strikes over Strait of Hormuz, diplomacy stalls
- Sep 11 Houthis seized Perim Island and the town of Dhubab.
- Sep 11 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Donald Trump to authorize U.S. strikes against the Houthis, but the United States limited its role to intelligence and targeting assistance.
- Sep 11 The Iran-backed Houthis captured the Yemeni side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Mayyun Island and the Hanish islands, consolidating control over the vital Red Sea corridor.
- Sep 11 Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry said the pipeline was targeted by several drones launched from Iraq, causing human injuries and damage.
- Sep 12 Saudi Arabia closed its oil pipeline after drone attacks traced to Iraq.
- Sep 12 Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said navigation in the Red Sea was safe except for Saudi ships.
- Sep 12 Experts noted Iran now influences both the Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab chokepoints.
- Sep 13 Houthis announced a drone and missile strike on Saudi Sharurah military base.
- Sep 13 The Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack on the commercial vessel MT El Gaia off the coast of Oman, saying 13 of the 14 Indian crew have been rescued and search continues for the missing Indian national.
- Sep 13 Saudi east‑west oil pipeline shut after a drone strike.
- Sep 13 Houthis allege Saudi forces carried out more than 50 attacks on their targets in a single day.
- Sep 14 Oman hosts a Gulf meeting on Hormuz while Bahrain refuses to participate.
- Sep 14 Iranian cargo vessel hit near Qeshm Island, killing one crew member and prompting Oman to delay the Hormuz talks.
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