Tehran: Iran's Revolutionary Guards have struck and detained an oil tanker sailing under the Togolese flag in the Strait of Hormuz, state news agency IRNA reported on Friday.

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The Guards said the tanker, named Trend, was targeted after a fire broke out on board while it was attempting what Iran described as an “illegal passage” through the strategic waterway.

“The Togo-flagged oil tanker ‘Trend’ had been targeted and detained after a fire broke out on board,” the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement.

Iran has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February, according to the report. Tehran has sought to impose tolls on vessels using the waterway and has attacked ships it accuses of trying to bypass its preferred route.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global shipping route through which a significant share of the world's oil supply passes.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Thursday that it had received a report of a “security incident” in the Strait of Hormuz, around 16 nautical miles (29.6 km) north-east of Khasab, Oman.

UKMTO did not disclose details about the vessel involved. It remains unclear whether the incident reported by the British maritime agency involved the same tanker identified by Iran's Revolutionary Guards.