An oil tanker, identified as the El Gaia and flying under the Panamanian flag, was reported to have exploded and caught fire after colliding with mines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Monday, as reported by Fars news agency. The timing of the incident was not specified.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) denied the IRGC's claim, stating that the El Gaia had actually been struck by an Iranian missile last month and had recently been targeted again by an Iranian drone. CENTCOM noted that the ship is currently being towed by a regional partner.
In a post on X/Twitter, CENTCOM described the IRGC's assertion as a false claim and an example of intimidation aimed at commercial vessels in the strait.
Reports regarding the incident first surfaced on Sunday, prompting a statement from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The ministry condemned the attack and confirmed that of the 14 Indian crew members aboard, 13 had been rescued, while search and rescue operations were ongoing for the missing individual.
The Indian Ministry stated, "Our Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities."
This incident follows a recent announcement by US President Donald Trump, who stated that all mines in the Strait of Hormuz had been removed or destroyed, saying, "All mines have been removed and/or detonated from within the International Waters of the Strait of Hormuz."
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.