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Graphic shows shipping incidents in the Middle East in 2021.
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MIDDLE EAST

Iran’s largest navy ship catches fire, sinks in Gulf of Oman

June 2, 2021 - The largest ship in the Iranian navy caught fire and sank on Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman under unclear circumstances, semiofficial news agencies reported.

The blaze began in the early hours of Wednesday and firefighters tried to contain it, but their efforts failed to save the 207m-long Kharg, which was used to resupply other ships in the fleet at sea and conduct training exercises, AP said.

The vessel sank off the Iranian port of Jask, on the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz – the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf. Iranian officials offered no cause for the fire aboard the ship, though they said an investigation had begun.

The Kharg fire is the latest naval incident in waters near Iran, a region of sensitive shipping routes and simmering geopolitical tensions, the BBC said.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 02/06/2021; STORY: Graphic News
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