Iranian Revolutionary Guard reports container ship sinks in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced on Tuesday that a container ship sank after allegedly striking a sea mine while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz via an unauthorized route. The incident comes as Washington renewed its warnings to Tehran over the potential resumption of military operations.

According to Iran's Mehr news agency, the public relations office of the Revolutionary Guard Navy stated that the "violating" container ship was trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz through a "prohibited and dangerous route," which led to its collision with a sea mine and caused a major fire on board.

The statement added that the ship, carrying more than 2,500 containers, sank in the southern waters of the Strait of Hormuz due to the intensity of the fire. The announcement did not specify the vessel's name or flag, and there was no independent confirmation of the incident's details.

The sinking comes amid rising risks to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as military tensions persist between Iran and the United States and concerns grow over sea mines and restrictions on vessel passage.

Last Sunday, the Revolutionary Guard reported that a giant oil tanker struck a sea mine while attempting to cross the strait via the southern route, resulting in an explosion and fire in its engine room. Iran's ISNA news agency said at the time that the tanker was the third vessel described by the Guard as "violating" and set ablaze since Saturday, bringing the total number of sunken tankers and ships to four since the start of the week.