Iran Navy Ship Sinks After Fire In Gulf Of Oman

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Iran navy ship sinks after fire in Gulf of Oman

One of Iran's largest naval ships sank Wednesday after catching fire off a strategic port near the head of the Gulf, the navy said

Tehran (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Jun, 2021 ) :One of Iran's largest naval ships sank Wednesday after catching fire off a strategic port near the head of the Gulf, the navy said.

The British-built fleet replenishment vessel Kharg, which measured more than 200 metres (more than 650 feet) long, caught fire on Tuesday off the port of Jask on the Gulf of Oman, the navy said.

Footage aired by state television showed a massive column of smoke rising from what it said was the burning vessel.

The fire broke out in "one of the systems" of the ship, a navy statement said without elaborating.

Firefighting efforts continued "for 20 hours" before the ship went down.

The ship's crew all safely disembarked.

"Considering the spread of the fire, the mission to save the Kharg failed and it sank in waters off Jask," the navy said.

The Kharg was ordered from Britain in 1976 when the pro-Western shah was still in power.

It was not delivered until 1984 after years of wrangling between Britain and the government that took power after the Islamic revolution of 1979.

Jeremy Binnie of open-source defence intelligence provider Janes said the Kharg was important to Iran as its only dedicated vessel able to resupply warships at sea.

"The Iranians often describe it as a 'helicopter carrier' but it is actually a replenishment ship - a useful asset nonetheless as it was the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy's only dedicated ship serving this role," Binnie said.

"It is not the IRIN's largest vessel any more after they commissioned Makran, a converted oil tanker, in January."The navy said the vessel was on a "training mission" in international waters.

Iran's ISNA news agency said its mission had focused on "training, intelligence and combat" alongside the destroyer Alborz.