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Oman rescues 25 crew from burning tanker as Iran reports mine strikes

Oman says it evacuated 25 from the Panamanian-flagged RITI; the US military denies Iran's mine claims.

Latest update: Iran claimed up to four tankers struck naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, but the United States military denied the reports.

The short version

  • Oman says it evacuated 25 crew from the burning, Panamanian-flagged crude tanker RITI in the Strait of Hormuz.[Al Jazeera]
  • Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps says three oil tankers were halted after incidents or mine hits on unauthorized routes, and a supertanker exploded.[Al Jazeera]
  • Iran also says four tankers struck mines, a count that differs from the Revolutionary Guard's three-tanker statement.[CNBC · Al Jazeera]
  • The AP could not verify the mine reports, and US Central Command says main transit routes were cleared while the US military denies the mine claims.[Jalopnik · Al Jazeera]

Key facts

  • Oman's Maritime Security Centre said it evacuated 25 crew from the burning crude tanker RITI in the Strait of Hormuz.[Al Jazeera]
  • Oman said the burning vessel was flying the Panamanian flag.[Al Jazeera]
  • Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said three oil tankers were halted after incidents or mine hits while using unauthorized routes.[Jalopnik · Al Jazeera]
  • The Revolutionary Guard Corps separately said a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of oil exploded and caught fire.[Al Jazeera]
  • Iran claimed four tankers struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz.[CNBC]
  • US Central Command chief Brad Cooper said the strait's primary transit routes were cleared of Iranian sea mines.[Al Jazeera]

What remains uncertain

  • The number of tankers affected is disputed, with one Iranian statement citing three and another citing four.[CNBC · Al Jazeera]
  • The mine strike reports remain unverified; the AP could not independently verify Iran's report, and the US military denies the mine claims.[Jalopnik · Al Jazeera]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.