Oman evacuates 25 crew from burning crude tanker in Strait of Hormuz
Omani maritime authorities rescued 25 crew members from a Panamanian-flagged crude oil tanker that caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, amid Iranian claims that several tankers were halted for using unauthorised routes.
Omani maritime forces rescued 25 crew members from the RITI merchant vessel after it caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, the Omani Maritime Security Centre said on Friday. The ship, identified by MarineTraffic as a crude oil tanker flying the Panamanian flag, was evacuated by Omani authorities.
The incident occurred as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that three oil tankers had been stopped while attempting to use unauthorised routes through the strait. The IRGC said two tankers were halted after "incidents" or mine strikes, and a third, a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of oil, exploded and caught fire while trying the same route.
Iran’s navy also announced that it had destroyed an unmanned craft in the eastern part of the strait on Friday. Tehran has repeatedly warned vessels against transiting the waterway without its permission and has claimed responsibility for attacks on ships in the area.
The United States military denied the presence of Iranian sea mines, with U.S. Central Command chief Brad Cooper stating that the internationally recognised primary transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz had been cleared of mines.