(Reuters) – At least one Iranian navy man was killed and several were injured in an incident on a military ship during a naval exercise in the Gulf of Oman, Iranian state TV reported on Monday.
The Gulf of Oman is a particularly sensitive waterway as it connects to the Strait of Hormuz – through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes – which in turn connects to the Gulf.
“The incident took place in the perimeter of Iran’s southern Jask port on the Gulf of Oman during Iranian Navy drills on Sunday. At least one person was killed and several were injured,” the broadcaster said, quoting the Iranian navy.
Iran’s armed forces regularly hold exercises in the region.
The semi-official Fars news agency said the incident took place aboard the Konarak support ship, a domestically made missile-launching warship that joined the naval fleet in 2018.
“The circumstances of the incident are currently undergoing technical examinations,” Iran’s Students News Agency ISNA said.
However, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said another ship accidentally fired a missile into the Konarak during a live-fire exercise.
“Iran’s Moudge-class frigate Jamaran accidentally shot the Konarak ship with a missile,” the news agency said.
(Additional Reporting By Babak Dehghanpisheh; Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Kim Coghill, Robert Birsel)
