Tehran, Iran, October 18 (H.S.): Amid continuing tensions in the Middle East, at least 10 ships have been attacked in or around the Strait of Hormuz since last Sunday, according to a British maritime agency. Meanwhile, an oil tanker has reportedly caught fire in the Gulf of Oman, an incident confirmed by the Iranian Navy.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, the Iranian Navy said an oil tanker had caught fire in the Gulf of Oman. Earlier, on Saturday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that a second oil supertanker had struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a fire.

The Iranian Navy said, “A supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil was attempting to pass illegally through the Strait of Hormuz in violation of regulations. During the attempt, it struck a naval mine, resulting in a powerful explosion and a massive fire.” The statement did not disclose the exact location of the incident.

The IRGC said, “The tanker had switched off all its tracking systems and attempted to cross the strait with American support.”

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) monitoring agency reported that at least 10 ships had been attacked in or around the Strait of Hormuz since last Sunday. This is the highest number of attacks recorded in a single week since the war began in February. A total of 23 attacks have been reported since the beginning of the month, nearly twice the average.

On Saturday, the British maritime agency also reported an attack on a vessel near the coast of Saudi Arabia. The incident was said to have occurred a day earlier.

According to UKMTO, “A vessel’s captain reported that the ship had been attacked with a rocket-propelled grenade fired from a small boat, damaging the vessel’s stern.” The agency said all crew members aboard the ship were safe.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar