Iran strikes, detains oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz

TEHERAN: Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday they struck an oil tanker sailing under the Togolese flag in the Strait of Hormuz, state news agency IRNA reported.

Teheran has imposed an effective blockade of the strait since the United States and Israel struck Iran in late February.

The Islamic republic wants to charge tolls for passage, attacking ships it accuses of attempting to circumvent its preferred route.

"The Togo-flagged oil tanker 'Trend' had been targeted and detained after a fire broke out on board," the statement said, referring to an attempted "illegal passage" through the vital waterway.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced Thursday a "security incident in the Strait of Hormuz, 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman."

UKMTO did not provide details about the vessel involved, and it is unclear whether it is the same mentioned by the Revolutionary Guards.--AFP