TEHRAN, November 15. /TASS/. A supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of oil has sunk in the southern part of the Persian Gulf after striking a sea mine, while the other vessel that hit a mine while trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz along the unauthorized route is on fire, the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, elite units of the Iranian army) said.
"One of these vessels - a supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil - sank in the southern waters of the Persian Gulf following an explosion and a massive fire," it said.
According to the IRGC naval forces, both tankers, with the support of the US military, attempted to secretly pass through the waterway along the southern route with their identification and positioning systems switched off. Fishermen in the area have been advised to observe safety precautions to avoid coming across the sunken vessel, while shipowners, shipping companies and crews have been warned not to approach the restricted zone in the Strait of Hormuz.