US tanker 'on fire' after being hit by Iranian forces
What's the story
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that its naval forces struck a United States oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf on Thursday. According to Mehr News Agency, the vessel was hit by missiles and is "currently burning." The IRGC's public relations department released a statement reiterating its position that under international law and regulations, control over passage through the Strait of Hormuz rests with Iran. "Everyone must comply," the statement read.
Iran
Iran closed Strait of Hormuz
Iran, this week, closed the Strait of Hormuz, a major global oil transit route, and warned it will attack any ship trying to pass through. Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander-in-chief, said on Monday: "The strait is closed. If anyone tries to pass...the heroes of the Revolutionary Guard and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze."
Ship
87 killed in ship attack by US
The alleged attack, however, comes a day after the United States struck the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off the Sri Lankan coast, for which Iran had vowed retaliation. The IRIS Dena had participated in the MILAN International Fleet Review from February 18-25, hosted by the Indian Navy. After the event, it was returning home on a standard westward route when it was attacked. As many as 180 people were on board the vessel. Of those, at least 87 were killed.
Pentagon
'US will come to bitterly regret...'
After the attack, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that a torpedo fired by an American submarine sank the warship. Reacting to the attack, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the US would regret the decision. "Frigate Dena, a guest of India's Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning," he said. "Mark my words: The US will come to bitterly regret (the) precedent it has set."