TEHRAN, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- A "violating" supertanker that was crossing the Strait of Hormuz using the unauthorized route south of the waterway has been hit and is burning, the semi-official Fars news agency reported Thursday night.
The vessel, capable of carrying 2.5 million barrels of oil, was struck 8 km off Oman's coast, the report said.
The incident was also reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) in a statement published Thursday night on its website.
The UKMTO said it "has received a third-party report of a tanker being struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a fire," adding, "Crew have been reported safe, damage assessment and environmental impact is unknown at time of report."
Fars cited Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority, the body responsible for maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, as saying on Thursday that several oil tankers were struck in the waterway over the past days, of which the last three ones are owned or rented by the United Arab Emirates.
Iran tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory. ■
