Oil tanker catches fire in attack near the Strait of Hormuz amid conflicting reports from different parties

(1) The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy reported that a Panama-flagged oil tanker caught fire after hitting a naval mine while attempting to enter the restricted waters in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz. (2) The Iranian side stated that the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, and passage through the shipping lane is restricted. (3) The US Central Command disagreed with the above statement, claiming that the oil tanker was hit by a missile last month and was attacked again by a drone in waters off the coast of Oman this weekend. It is currently being towed and handled by regional partners. (4) According to local Iranian officials, during the night of September 14 to 15, two fishing boats near Korgan Port in Hormozgan Province were attacked by drones, with multiple fishermen missing and search and rescue operations underway. (5) Ongoing geopolitical conflicts continue to disrupt the Middle Eastern shipping market, and the market is concerned about rising risks to crude oil transportation.