Oil tanker has exploded in Strait of Hormuz, says Iran’s IRGC

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the El Gaia went up in flames after it struck a sea mine but the US rejected the claim

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said late on Monday that an oil tanker had struck a sea mine and exploded in the Strait of Hormuz.

The tanker El Gaia was travelling along the southern route through the strait, which was mined by Iran, state broadcaster IRIB reported, citing the IRGC. The entire vessel went up in flames following the detonation of the mine, it said.

“The Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was struck by an Iranian missile last month and rendered inoperable. This weekend, Iran struck the tanker again with a drone while the ship sat in waters off the coast of Oman,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media.