Iran’s Largest Warship Catches Fire, Sinks

The Iranian Navy’s largest warship sank in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday. The blaze broke out on the 679-foot Kharg in Iranian waters, and it sank off the port of Jask, close to the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s state media reported that 400 sailors were on board the ship and 20 were injured. The incident comes amidst increased tensions between Iran and Israel and what made it worse was that the loss of the ship was not the only major incident Iran faced on Wednesday. Another large fire broke out at an oil refinery that serves Tehran, Iran’s capital. It was not immediately clear what the cause was or whether there were casualties. Naval analysts believe the loss of the Kharg is a huge setback for Iran as it allowed them to have reach as it served as mobile launch pad for helicopters and allowed Iran to carry out operations far afield.