IRAN — An Iranian naval vessel sank in the
Gulf of Oman Wednesday
after efforts to put out a fire failed, but the crew safely disembarked, the
navy said.
اضافة اعلان
The fleet replenishment tanker Kharg had caught fire on Tuesday
near the port of Jask on the Gulf of Oman.
The fire broke out in "one of the systems" of the
vessel, a navy statement said without elaborating.
Firefighting efforts continued "for 20 hours"
before the ship went down, it said.
"Considering the spread of the fire, the mission to
save the Kharg failed and it sank in waters off Jask."
It added that the vessel had left for a "training
mission" in international waters days ago.
Last year, an Iranian warship was hit by friendly fire
during a naval exercise off Jask, killing the 19 sailors onboard.
The port lies close to the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic
chokepoint at the head of the Gulf through which a fifth of world oil output
passes.
Jask is also important to Iran's economy as the site where
the government plans to build the country's second-largest oil export terminal.
A 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) pipeline from Bushehr province
on the Gulf to Jask was put into service just days ago, the government said.
It will provide a new bypass route for oil exports avoiding
the Strait of Hormuz.
In recent months, there have also been reported attacks on
Iranian shipping linked to its arch foe Israel.
In April, Iran said its freighter Saviz was hit by an
"explosion" in the
Red Sea, after media reports said Israel had
struck the ship.
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