Symbolic imageTwo tankers burn in Hormuz and another is hit off UAE coast
Iran's Revolutionary Guards say two tankers carrying over four million barrels of oil were disabled by blasts in the Strait of Hormuz. A third vessel was struck off Ras Al-Khaimah in the UAE.
The Guards' navy said on Thursday, 12 November that the two ships caught fire overnight after a very strong explosion on a southern route Tehran has not authorized, despite repeated warnings from its traffic control center. It warned that any vessel that switches off navigation systems and cooperates with US forces on that route will face the same fate. The Hindu reports that the Guards call the incident an "accident". Tehran has repeatedly blamed such fires on mines, while the US military recently said all mines had been cleared from the strait.
Tanker struck off Ras Al-Khaimah
The UK maritime agency UKMTO said an unidentified projectile hit the Liberian-flagged MT Dominica Prosperity northwest of Ras Al-Khaimah and started an engine-room fire. All 22 crew were evacuated safely, 19 of them Indian nationals according to India's shipping minister. The security firm Ambrey said the stern was hit as the ship left Hormuz, and Reuters reported it is owned by Haut Brion 56 Ltd and managed by Sinokor Maritime.