SUPERTANKER HITS NAVAL MINE AND CATCHES FIRE IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said Friday that a supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil struck a naval mine and caught fire while using an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported.

The Guard said it was the fourth oil tanker to suffer an explosion Friday after attempting to use unauthorized routes through the strait, one of the world's most important oil chokepoints.

The incident comes as Gulf states brace for the possibility that the United States could resume military action against Iran after Tuesday's midterm elections, a risk that already moved Gulf stock markets on Sunday.

Tehran has repeatedly warned it would retaliate against any new attacks by targeting U.S. and Israeli interests in neighbouring countries.

Details of casualties and the extent of the damage to the supertanker were not immediately clear from the Guard's account.