Oil tanker catches fire in Strait of Hormuz: Iranian media

An oil tanker caught fire Saturday in the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media reported, with satellite imagery confirming the vessel ablaze and emergency teams rushing to the scene as authorities withheld details on casualties and cause.

The vessel was detected burning along the strait’s southern route through satellite monitoring, Fars News Agency said. An oil-spill response and firefighting ship named ADNOC AR01 arrived at the scene, the semi-official outlet added. No information was immediately available regarding casualties, the ship’s identity or what sparked the blaze.

Regional tensions backdrop

Regional tensions escalated on Feb. 28 when Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes against Iranian military, nuclear and energy infrastructure, prompting Tehran to respond with missile and drone attacks against Israeli and American targets across the region.

On June 18, Iran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding mediated by Pakistan and Qatar to end active hostilities and launch negotiations, though talks later stalled over disputes concerning maritime security and freedom of navigation through Hormuz — the critical export route for Gulf oil and gas.