The IRGC separately said it struck a supertanker Monday morning and set it on fire, its third claimed supertanker strike in the Strait of Hormuz in two days. It said the vessel disabled its navigation system and ignored warnings while attempting to leave the strait. The strike has not been independently verified. The navy also warned that commercial ships and oil tankers cooperating with US forces in Hormuz and the Persian Gulf would face a “decisive response.”
Earlier Iranian accounts of tanker mine strikes and accompanying footage remain disputed. TankerTrackers said footage of the GEM No. 2 appeared doctored and that a fire following an Oct. 9 strike had already been extinguished, citing a Reuters report and satellite imagery. India’s consulate in Dubai confirmed Sunday that all 22 Indian crew members aboard that tanker were rescued and safe after an incident off Ras Al Khaimah.