Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is out claiming that a rogue supertanker has been stopped in its tracks and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz. That after being struck by two naval mines along the waterway. The tanker is said to be attempting to pass through the strait “illegally” along the southern passage.
The IRGC is also out saying that “all ships must comply with its rules for passage through the Strait of Hormuz”.
This comes as no surprise as tensions are heating up between the US and Iran again from the weekend. As mentioned earlier, it’s all about sending a message.
“You can bet that with tensions keeping high, Iran will also continue to make a showing of further disrupting traffic along the Strait of Hormuz. Even if already near a standstill, attacks on the waterway will go a long way in sending a message to the US and the world that they are still in control.”
The most striking response Iran can go with is to make a show of attacking vessels along the strait. And it seems like they are doing just that, even if this is supposedly a tanker that ran into naval mines. Believe what you will.
But as both sides continue this form of military exchange, it’s further evidence to the case that we are not going to see tensions die down any time soon. Six months and counting now.
This article was written by Justin Low at investinglive.com.