Iran Navy Says Tanker Caught Fire in Gulf of Oman With Tracking Off. Name, Cause and Crew Status Not Disclosed

Since the U.S. and Israel opened "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28 and the June memorandum of understanding collapsed, the Strait of Hormuz has become the main flashpoint. Thursday, Oct. 15, added another incident to the list.

A tanker on fire in the Gulf of Oman

Iran's navy said its surveillance teams, patrolling the eastern sector of the strait, found a tanker ablaze in a restricted area of the Sea of Oman. The navy's statement said the vessel had switched off its tracking systems while trying to cross.

The statement did not give the ship's name, flag or crew condition. It also did not say what started the fire. Iranian state media carried the claim, and images purporting to show the burning vessel are circulating online. They have not been independently verified.

Iran's navy also said the strait is "under the full control and supervision" of the navy and the IRGC Navy.

US Central Command had not commented on the tanker as of Thursday. Iranian domestic media reported a fire on a different tanker near the strait on Wednesday, Oct. 14, also with its tracking equipment off.

Dueling accounts of the GFS Pride

The Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride sank Wednesday after a strike the day before. All 21 crew were evacuated with no injuries, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

The IRGC Navy says the ship hit a naval mine while on what it called an "unauthorised and dangerous" route. It put the cargo at more than 2,500 containers.

A U.S. official told ABC News that Iran lied and that Iranian forces attacked the ship, likely with a missile. The official was not named in that account.

Maritime security sources and the UK Maritime Trade Operations center describe a strike by an "unknown projectile." Singapore's maritime authority called such attacks "unprovoked, unjustifiable, and a breach of international law."

The ship's UAE-based manager, GFS Ship Management FZE, could not be reached for comment.

Attack tempo

UKMTO has recorded 20 reported attacks in the strait since Oct. 1. Two came on Wednesday, both by what it described as unknown projectiles. Six attacks were reported on Sunday, which UKMTO called the most damaging single day since the war began.

The Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier Cape Dao, struck on Sept. 23, is also reported to have sunk after a failed rescue attempt. One crew member died in the initial attack.

Iran declared the approaches to Hormuz a prohibited zone in September after remarks by Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohbi said the zone covers part of the Gulf of Oman and part of the Arabian Sea. IRGC naval commander Ali Azmayi has said Tehran exercises "smart control" over the strait. The U.S. military, for its part, has been guiding ships along a route nearer Oman's coast.

The Institute for the Study of War said, citing recent Iranian state media statements, that Iran may be developing an anti-ship variant of its Kheibar Shekan ballistic missile. That is the weapon type used in an attempt to hit American naval forces on Sept. 5. Iranian media described the Sept. 5 weapon as a Qasem Basir missile, a different model.

Iranian officials, speaking to media without being named, said the rising attack rate is meant to hinder U.S.-backed oil exports and keep prices high ahead of the U.S. midterm election. They said the strategy has support at the top of Iran's leadership. Those claims are unconfirmed.

Tasnim, an Iranian outlet, reported Wednesday that three fishermen were injured when a boat near Sirik in Hormozgan province was hit by an unidentified drone. It described the incident as a U.S. drone attack. Iranian authorities have not officially confirmed that, and the U.S. has not commented.

Houthi strikes widen the front

The fighting is not confined to the strait. Saudi coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said King Khalid Airport in Riyadh has been attacked 20 times since Oct. 1. He said at least 17 people were killed and 333 injured between Oct. 7 and Oct. 11.

Two regional officials, speaking anonymously, said a Houthi strike overnight hit the top three floors of the Aramco headquarters building in Dhahran, damaging the offices of the CEO and other top executives. They reported no casualties.

In Aden, four ballistic missiles struck the Yemeni presidential palace, killing at least two people, according to Yemen's information minister and a government spokesperson. Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani and his ministers were unharmed.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the strike on what he called the "Saudi enemy's military operations headquarters in Aden" fits a declared policy of "striking Saudi mobilizations wherever they are."

What is still open

The tanker's owner, flag and crew status remain undisclosed. Iran has not said whether a mine, a projectile or something else started the fire, and CENTCOM has not weighed in. The mine-versus-missile dispute over the GFS Pride also stands unresolved, with Iran and the unnamed U.S. official giving opposite accounts.