Iran's Guards say they hit a supertanker in Hormuz that switched off its transponder; UKMTO logs 4 more incidents

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they struck a supertanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, 12 October, after it tried to cross with its transponder switched off, and that the ship caught fire. The statement was published on Sepah News, the Guards' own news platform, and reported by AFP.

The Guards' navy said the tanker had tried to sail through "by disabling its transponders" and "by ignoring warnings" from its boats. The ship was not named, and there was no word on casualties or on where it was bound.

A warning made good

Over the weekend, the Guards' naval commander, Ali Ozmaei, warned that any vessel that switched off its transponder to avoid detection while crossing the strait would be treated as "hostile" and face a "severe" response.

Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO), which tracks shipping security in the region, reported four separate incidents of vessels being hit in Hormuz on Sunday.

Iran has blockaded the strait since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February. The US has answered with a counter-blockade of Iranian ports and escorts ships through the waterway, and Iran has repeatedly fired on vessels that cross without its permission.

Why it matters in Pakistan

Pakistan buys most of its crude, diesel and LNG from the Gulf, and much of it passes through Hormuz. Since 21 July the government has set petrol and diesel prices every day instead of every two weeks, so a jump in freight, insurance or crude prices reaches the pump within days.

• Petrol is Rs 395.37 a litre for 13 October, down Rs 2.93 from Monday, under the Petroleum Division's daily notification, The Express Tribune reported.
• High-speed diesel is Rs 396.85, up 61 paisas.

Our petrol price and diesel price pages track every change, and the fuel cost calculator shows what a month of commuting costs at today's rate.

What to watch

Whether more tankers try to slip through with transponders off, which the Guards now treat as grounds to fire. More strikes would put pressure on crude prices and shipping costs, which reach Pakistan through the daily price notification.