Iran says oil tanker explodes after hitting naval mines in Hormuz, US denies

The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that a super oil tanker exploded and caught fire after hitting naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim the United States has denied.

According to the IRGC Navy, the oil tanker was seeking to cross the Strait of Hormuz via the "forbidden" route in the southern waterway when the incident occurred.

On the same day, the U.S. side rejected this account, saying the tanker caught fire after being hit by a drone attack.

Warnings about the dangers of this route had been issued previously, according to the statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News.

In the statement, the IRGC Navy said that the Strait of Hormuz has been blocked and remains under Iran's "smart control".

Following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, Tehran restricted passage through the strategic waterway, while U.S. forces imposed a naval blockade targeting vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports.

Ship-tracking data showed that the daily number of vessels transiting through the strait dropped to single digits over the weekend, falling below the recent 10-day average of 14 vessels per day.

Four vessels, including a gas carrier, exited the strait over the weekend, while 10 cargo ships entered the waterway.

However, these figures do not include vessels that passed through the strait with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched off.

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly 20 percent of the world's seaborne oil flows and significant shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fertilizers.

Before the U.S.-Israeli strikes, around 125 large commercial vessels could pass through the strait every day, including oil tankers, gas carriers, bulk carriers, and container ships.

Iran says oil tanker explodes after hitting naval mines in Hormuz, US denies

Iran says oil tanker explodes after hitting naval mines in Hormuz, US denies

Iran says oil tanker explodes after hitting naval mines in Hormuz, US denies

Iran says oil tanker explodes after hitting naval mines in Hormuz, US denies Iran's claim

Iran says oil tanker explodes after hitting naval mines in Hormuz Strait

Deteriorating fuel shortages are piling pressure on Sudan's fragile economy, further arresting its industrial, agricultural, and commercial sectors.

At a repair shop in Port Sudan, more than a dozen employees earn income repairing cars and heavy machinery. Unreliable fuel supplies have made it difficult to operate equipment, test vehicles, and transport spare parts, disrupting some of the shop's work.

"Fuel is essential to us. Without it, we can't test our equipment. Fuel is also needed to clean and maintain the engine and many other components," said Yasser Bukhari, head of a local vehicle repair shop.

At the same time, the fuel shortage has placed additional strain on the power supply. Many factories rely on electrically powered equipment, so when the power goes out, production is often forced to stop.

"Because of the fuel shortage, we have had to turn to the black market, where prices are exorbitant. Unreliable electricity supply is also severely hampering production. Whenever the power goes out, almost all work comes to a halt. Many production tasks have to be delayed, making it difficult for the factory to operate normally," said Mohamed Suliman, a local worker.

The fuel shortage has also had a significant impact on trade. Rising fuel prices have increased the cost of purchase, transportation, and distribution, driving up prices. At the same time, rising prices have eroded people's purchasing power, leaving many merchants struggling to stay afloat.

"Sudan relies heavily on imported fuel, and prices continue to rise. This has significantly increased the cost of transporting goods, which in turn has driven up fruit prices. Over the past three months, prices have nearly quadrupled. Prices for goods across the board have risen sharply, making it increasingly difficult to keep our business going," said Abdallah Hassan, a local store owner.

Sudan's economy under tremendous pressure amid fuel shortage