IRGC Says It Struck Tanker in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said it struck a supertanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, October 12, and that the vessel caught fire. The force described it as the third ship it had hit in two days, but did not identify the tanker or specify how it was struck. The IRGC Navy said the tanker had switched off its tracking system, ignored warnings and attempted to leave the strait. Those details are the force’s account and have not been independently established in the information available. It also warned that commercial vessels and oil tankers cooperating with the U.S. military in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf would face a response. Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a delayed report on Monday of an incident the previous day involving an outbound tanker struck by an unknown projectile in the strait. UKMTO said the crew was safe, the environmental impact was unknown and authorities were investigating. Neither account identified the vessel. The available information does not establish whether the tanker described by the IRGC was the same ship in UKMTO’s report, or who caused the incident recorded by UKMTO.