According to a statement released by the Iranian Navy’s public relations office, the tanker was damaged and caught fire around noon on Tuesday, October 13, while attempting to transit the area with its tracking systems switched off and cross into a prohibited zone.
Iranian Navy monitoring teams identified the vessel, it said.
The statement said the Iranian Navy has adopted a new deployment formation, positioning operational units east of the Strait of Hormuz and across the Arabian Sea and the Sea of Oman. It added that it maintains comprehensive and continuous, real-time surveillance of enemy activities and vessel traffic in these areas.
The Navy urged all vessels to comply with international regulations and strictly refrain from switching off their electronic equipment. It also called on ships to coordinate their passage with the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure safe transit.