ALBAWABA - An oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz exploded after striking a mine, Iranian local media reported Sunday.
According to Mehr News Agency, the vessel exploded in the Strait of Hormuz after it deviated from the route designated by Iran to pass the waterway.
Mehr said that the oil tanker had turned off its radar system and exploded after hitting a mine. Tehran planted the strait with mines after the war with the U.S. was launched and announced closing the waterway.
The strait was partially reopened by Tehran after the agreement with Washington, but was closed again by the Iranian army after the escalation resumed.
Mehr wrote, "The Islamic Republic has emphasized its sovereign rights over the strategic waterway."
Iran stopped its waves of retaliatory attacks on July 26, after the U.S. played down airstrikes on Tehran by halting new attacks on Friday and Saturday [July 24 and 25], potentially marking the start of another round of peace talks.
This marks the first time both sides have stopped attacking each other since the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ceasefire was broken on July 6 when Iran attacked two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, which, according to Tehran, violated the waterway directions.
Washington responded to the attacks on tankers and launched airstrikes on Tehran on July 8, while the Iranian army responded by hitting Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan, targeting American bases and assets.
