DUBAI — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday a Togo-flagged oil tanker caught fire and was disabled after coming under attack in in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessel attempted what it called an “illegal passage.”The IRGC did not disclose further details on the vessel’s crew, cargo, or exact location. “Last night the offending tanker Trend, flying the flag of Togo, intended to pass illegally through the Strait of Hormuz after being incited and deceived by the American army,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency. “It was struck and stopped after a fire broke out.”The IRGC Navy said its sailors still held the strategic channel and would block any force it described as an aggressor.It repeated a warning to shipowners and crews. “Illegal passage through the Strait of Hormuz will achieve nothing other than the destruction of the offending vessel,” the navy said.There was no immediate independent confirmation of the reported strike from maritime trackers such as the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The statement did not provide information about the cargo, the crew, possible injuries, or whether the vessel was still afloat. US military officials did not immediately comment on the latest claim.DUBAI — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday a Togo-flagged oil tanker caught fire and was disabled after coming under attack in in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessel attempted what it called an “illegal passage.”The IRGC did not disclose further details on the vessel’s crew, cargo, or exact location. “Last night the offending tanker Trend, flying the flag of Togo, intended to pass illegally through the Strait of Hormuz after being incited and deceived by the American army,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency. “It was struck and stopped after a fire broke out.”The IRGC Navy said its sailors still held the strategic channel and would block any force it described as an aggressor.It repeated a warning to shipowners and crews. “Illegal passage through the Strait of Hormuz will achieve nothing other than the destruction of the offending vessel,” the navy said.There was no immediate independent confirmation of the reported strike from maritime trackers such as the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The statement did not provide information about the cargo, the crew, possible injuries, or whether the vessel was still afloat. US military officials did not immediately comment on the latest claim.
Iran says it struck Togo-flagged tanker in Strait of Hormuz
