US rejects IRGC claim that Panama-flagged tanker hit naval mine
The US military has officially rejected Iranian claims that a Panama-flagged tanker was damaged by a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM asserts that the vessel was actually targeted by Iranian missiles and drones as part of an ongoing maritime blockade.
Why it matters
The conflicting reports highlight escalating tensions in a critical global shipping corridor and the use of disinformation in regional conflicts.
The US military on Monday rejected a claim by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards that an oil tanker collided with a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz.According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, the Panama-flagged vessel was attacked by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) last month and came under attack again over the weekend."IRGC claims a Panama-flagged oil tanker recently struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz. This is FALSE," CENTCOM wrote on X."The Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was struck by an Iranian missile last month and rendered inoperable. This weekend, Iran struck the tanker again with a drone while the ship was in waters off the coast of Oman.
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