TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy said Wednesday that a container ship carrying more than 2,500 containers sank south of the Strait of Hormuz after striking a naval mine and catching fire, the Associated Press, Reuters via Al Arabiya, and Xinhua reported.
A Guard statement carried by Iranian state media said the vessel had tried to transit what it called an “unauthorized and dangerous” route and warned local craft and fishermen to take care. Few details were released, including the ship’s identity, flag or the fate of its crew. The AP said it was the first time Iran had reported a ship sinking after hitting a mine during the current Middle East war.
The narrow Strait of Hormuz is a chokepoint for global oil and container traffic. Shipping has faced heightened risk since the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran tightened energy supplies and pushed crude prices higher — a factor cited in Wednesday’s hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation print.
The Associated Press said it could not independently verify the Guard’s account. Al Arabiya, citing Reuters, reported the IRGC navy statement as shared by state media on Wednesday morning local time. Xinhua summarized the same claim that a “violating” container ship sank after hitting a mine on an unauthorized route south of the waterway.
Sources: The Associated Press, Al Arabiya (Reuters), Xinhua
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