Iran says tanker struck a mine and burst into flames in Strait of Hormuz

A tanker is burning in the Strait of Hormuz after running into a naval mine, according to Iranian state media. Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said the strike happened on Saturday morning in the eastern section of the waterway, the narrow channel that carries a huge share of the world's seaborne oil.

It caps a violent stretch in the strait. Two oil tankers hit sea mines on Friday, setting off several large explosions, per the same reporting. Vessels in recent weeks have been trying to run what were described as unauthorised routes through the passage.

Tehran has drawn its own lines in the water. Iran has imposed restrictions on ships seeking to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and has attacked vessels it says broke those rules — a push to assert control over the strategic route and turn up the pressure on the United States.

For shipowners and crews, the message is blunt: the strait is now a place where routes are dictated, and where the wrong course can end in fire.