Iran’s largest navy ship sinks after catching fire in Gulf of Oman 

The largest ship in Iran’s navy fleet has sunk near the Strait of Hormuz after catching fire according to reports today by semi-official news agencies.

The circumstances surrounding the fire are still unclear, however both the Fars and Tasnim news agencies reported that a training and logistical ship the “Kharg”, which is named after a nearby island that serves as a key oil terminal caught fire around 2:25am and sunk near the port of Jask situated on the Gulf Oman near the Strait, despite attempts by firefighters to contain it.

روابط عمومی منطقه دوم دریایی جاسک اعلام کرد در پی حریق در شناور خارک و پس از انتقال کارکنان به ساحل، با وجود ۲۰ ساعت تلاش همه جانبه به دلیل گسترش آتش در بخش‌های مختلف، عملیات نجات شناور پشتیبانی آموزشی خارک بی‌نتیجه ماند و این شناور در آب‌های محدوده جاسک آرام گرفت. pic.twitter.com/8J6y1Mhqi6

— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) June 2, 2021

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Photos and video footage circulated on social media showing the fire and thick black smoke emanating from the vessel.

The Kharg had been in service in the Iranian army since 1984 and was built by Britain for pre-Revolutionary Iran and launched shortly before 1979 revolution after some years of negotiations and the British government’s initial refusal to grant an export license for the ship which had been wholly paid by Iran.

The fire follows a series of mysterious explosions that began in 2019 targeting ships in the Gulf of Oman. In May last year, an Iranian missile mistakenly struck a naval vessel near the same port, killing 19 sailors and injuring 15 during a military training exercise.

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