Arthur Greene
The Kharg, the largest vessel in Iran’s navy, sank on Wednesday after catching fire.
The blaze began at about 2:25am and firefighters tried to contain it, reported the news agency Fars, but their efforts to save the 207-metre vessel failed.
Images have circulated online showing members of the crew wearing life jackets and floating in the waters surrounding the vessel, as smoke rises above them.
The warship, which was situated in the Gulf of Oman, sank off the Iranian port of Jasknear.
State media reported that 400 crew members aboard the ship were rescued, with 33 suffering injuries. No deaths or missing persons have been reported.
The blaze was confirmed by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whose satellites are able to track fires from space.
Iranian officials have not stated a cause of the fire, but have announced that an investigation has begun.
The incident comes after a series of mysterious explosions, beginning in 2019, targetted commercial ships in the Gulf of Oman.
In April, Iranian ship, MV Saviz was targetted in an attack suspected to have been carried out by Israel.
Image source: @MiddleEastEye
