Iran claims that a liquefied natural gas vessel suffered an explosion after colliding with a naval mine in Ormuz

World "This vessel did not learn from the experience of the previous tanker ships that exploded and chose to transit with the support of American fighter jets," the authorities said. Photo: Europa Press/CENTCOM. CENTCOM Comments Iran's Revolutionary Guard stated this Friday that a ship carrying liquefied natural gas caught fire after hitting a naval mine while attempting to transit through "an unauthorized route" in the Strait of Hormuz, before adding that "a massive explosion" occurred in the area. "A ship carrying liquefied gas in the east of the Strait of Hormuz, ignoring repeated warnings, attempted to transit through the unauthorized and dangerous southern route, causing a massive explosion after hitting a naval mine," it said in a statement, as reported by Iran's state television channel, IRIB. It thus stressed that "this vessel did not learn from the experience of the previous tanker ships that exploded and chose to transit with the support of American fighter jets," in reference to the coverage provided by the United States military for transits through the southern maritime route in this strategic waterway. "Not knowing that naval mines never coordinate with the smuggling and aggressor American military to catch their prey, it suffered a very serious explosion," it said mockingly, before reiterating that the Strait of Hormuz "is managed with full determination and seriousness" and emphasizing that any vessel attempting to pass through that area "will suffer the same fate as the previous ships." Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz—the strategic passage for oil from the Persian Gulf to countries around the world—closed due to the offensive launched in February by the United States and Israel against the country, and has warned that crossing it is only safe through the routes authorized by its Armed Forces. The United States, for its part, maintains that there is no blockade of Hormuz because it controls the strait militarily, a presence limited to the outer part of the passage, through which it says it escorts ships to guarantee the continuity of oil exports from the Middle East. More on: Iran Hormuz Ship