TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The navy of Iran's Army said Wednesday a "violating" oil tanker caught fire earlier in the day after hitting naval mines east of the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday as the oil tanker was transiting the "unsafe and forbidden" region east of the waterway, the navy announced in a statement.
It said that its naval forces are monitoring the strait's eastern waters, stressing that safe passage through the waterway requires coordination with the Iranian armed forces and compliance with maritime regulations.
Iran tightened its grip on the strait 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.
Separately, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Ali Abdollahi on Wednesday warned the United States and Israel against making any new miscalculation, saying that "any point that serves as a focal point for threats against the existence of the sacred establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran will become a direct target of asymmetric operations."
He said in a message carried by Iranian media that the armed forces would carry out orders issued by the country's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei without hesitation. ■
