Image for representation purposes only An oil tanker reportedly exploded in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday after hitting a naval mine, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. Tasnim said the tanker struck the mine after leaving a shipping route designated by Iranian authorities in the Strait of Hormuz. The agency did not identify the vessel or provide details about its ownership, flag, cargo, destination or whether there were any casualties. Iranian authorities had not officially commented on the reported explosion at the time of writing, and the circumstances surrounding the incident could not be independently verified. The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is the main export route for crude oil from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates. Any disruption in the narrow waterway is closely watched by global energy markets because of its potential impact on oil supplies and prices. According to Tasnim, the vessel left the Tehran-approved shipping corridor before striking the sea mine. Iranian media described it as a vessel that had violated the designated route and said Tehran had repeatedly warned that ships leaving the approved corridor would bear the consequences. The explosion follows several attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf in recent weeks. The incident comes after months of conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel that have increased security risks in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has effectively restricted shipping through the waterway since the United States and Israel launched military operations against the country in February. Commercial vessels have since faced increased risks from naval operations, missile attacks and sea mines. The reported explosion came a day after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had intercepted four commercial vessels using what it described as an “illegal and unsafe route” through the southern Strait of