Tanker hits mine, catches fire in Strait of Hormuz, Iran says

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Saturday that a tanker was ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz after striking a mine in the strategic waterway at the center of tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Iran claims control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed before the war, and regularly targets vessels attempting to transit without its authorization.

’’A supertanker in violation, carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil and attempting to illegally cross the Strait of Hormuz, hit a mine, causing an explosion and a fierce fire,’’ the Guards said in a statement, without specifying the exact location of the incident.

The Strait of Hormuz, bordered by Iran to the north and Oman to the south, is about 30 kilometers wide at its narrowest point. Since Iranian forces closed the strait, many ships have attempted to cross without Tehran’s permission by hugging the Omani coast. Iran considers such crossings a violation and has repeatedly threatened retaliation.

’’The tanker attempted to traverse the Strait with support from the U.S. military… by disabling all of its tracking systems,’’ the Guards added, releasing a video showing a ship ablaze at night.

Before the war against Iran, launched on Feb. 28 with Israeli-U.S. strikes, passage through the Strait of Hormuz was unimpeded and did not require authorization. Tehran now cites security and sovereignty concerns to justify its restrictions.

In response to the closure, Washington has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and deployed escorts for tankers, which have increasingly resumed crossings through the strait.

This week, the commander of the Guards’ navy, Adm. Ali Ozmai, warned that any vessel disabling its navigation systems would be considered ‘‘hostile’’ and risk retaliation.