Tension in Strait of Hormuz as Iran halts three oil tankers

Iran has said it halted three oil tankers attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Oman's Maritime Security Centre, a fire broke out on Friday after an attack on a Panama-flagged commercial vessel named "RITI". The Omani navy rescued about 25 crew members from the ship. According to the ship-tracking website Marine Traffic, the vessel is a crude oil tanker.

Tehran has been obstructing traffic through this waterway since the war that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran. About one-fifth of the world's oil passes through this waterway.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, addressing an election rally in Daytona, Florida, claimed that more oil is now flowing through Hormuz than seven months ago.