Iran and US on Gulf clash: who attacked the oil tanker?

Iranian authorities and the U.S. military command have provided conflicting accounts regarding a fire on an oil tanker in the Gulf. The IRGC, Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, stated on Monday that an oil tanker caught fire after hitting a naval mine in a declared prohibited zone south of the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) rejected this version, asserting that the Panama-flagged tanker "El Gaia" had already been damaged by an Iranian missile last month and was struck again by an Iranian drone over the weekend while stationary in waters off Oman.

The contradictory statements come a day after Oman announced the postponement of a planned meeting between Iran and Gulf states specifically concerning agreements over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also announced the imminent establishment of a new "prohibited zone" near the strait, which will extend to include parts of the Persian Gulf.

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime passage for global oil transportation, represent a historical point of friction between the United States and Iran. The current situation originated on April 13 of this year, when the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iran, authorizing CENTCOM to inspect ships entering and leaving Iranian ports to limit the country's oil exports and maritime traffic. This triggered a series of clashes.

A temporary 60-day truce, reached in June, had suspended the embargo in exchange for freedom of commercial navigation. However, the United States reinstated the blockade in July following renewed armed clashes and attacks on ships in the region. Iran responded by announcing the establishment of prohibited zones and intensifying its claims over control of the waters. The postponement of talks and incidents such as that involving the oil tanker "El Gaia" signal a new peak in the crisis, with a tangible risk of further military escalation and disruptions to global oil routes.