The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre issued a fresh warning on Monday after receiving reports of a vessel on fire near the Omani coast, reviving concerns over the safety of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as the US-Iran conflict continues to intensify.
Vessel Fire Reported Off Omani Coast
In its advisory, UKMTO said it had "received a report of an incident 8NM northwest of Kumzar, Oman," adding that it had "received information from military authorities that a vessel is on fire."
The cause of the blaze "has not been verified at this time," the agency said, while advising vessels "to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO while authorities investigate." The incident was reported at 2245 UTC.
IRGC Cites Minefield Detonations
The warning comes after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly said two oil tankers attempting to cross the strait had detonated and caught fire after entering an Iranian minefield, according to Tasnim, a semi-official Iranian news agency with close ties to the IRGC.
ALSO READ: Iran Attacks Kuwait's Power Station, Water Desalination Plant As US Strikes Continue - Video
The Guard reportedly declared "this is our land," warning that "as long as America's mischief continues in the region, this route will not be safe for the passage of chemical fertilizers, or even a single cubic meter of oil and gas."
Strait Remains A Flashpoint
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil and a significant share of global liquefied natural gas normally passes, has emerged as one of the most volatile fronts in the war that began in late February.
ALSO READ: IRGC Says Two Ships Involved In Strait Of Hormuz 'Accident' After Taking 'Unsafe Route': Report
Iran has reportedly laid mines and issued repeated warnings against transit through the waterway, while the US has targeted Iranian mine-laying vessels and coastal military infrastructure in response.
Several tankers have been damaged or destroyed in the strait and its approaches in recent months, prompting shipping firms to scale back or suspend operations through the channel altogether.
The latest fire comes as the US and Iran continue nightly exchanges of strikes, with Washington maintaining that its operations are aimed at curbing Iran's ability to threaten commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the strait.
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