Iran's Largest Navy Ship Catches Fire, Sinks In Gulf Of Oman Under Unclear Circumstances

Iran's Largest Navy Ship Catches Fire, Sinks In Gulf Of Oman Under Unclear Circumstances

Iran’s largest navy ship caught fire and later sank Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman under unclear circumstances, semiofficial news agencies reported. Efforts failed to save the support ship Kharg, named after the island that serves as the main oil terminal for Iran, said The Fars and Tasnim news agencies. The blaze began around 2:25 a.m. and firefighters tried to contain it, Fars said. The vessel sank near the Iranian port of Jask, some 1,270 kilometers (790 miles) southeast of Tehran on the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf. Photos circulated on Iranian social media of sailors wearing life jackets evacuating the vessel as a fire burned behind them. State TV and semiofficial news agencies referred to the Kharg as a "training ship." Fars published video of thick, black smoke rising from the ship early Wednesday morning. Satellite photos from Planet Labs Inc. analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Kharg off to the west of Jask on Tues…