"The ships targeted in late-night attacks on Wednesday in the Gulf near Iraq were the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Zefyros, which had loaded fuel cargoes in Iraq, two Iraqi port officials told the Reuters news agency. We recovered the body of a foreign crew member from the water, one port security official said, as Iraqi rescue teams continued searching for other missing seafarers."
"Iraqi officials say this is a flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty given the fact this act, they say, of sabotage has happened in Iraq's territorial waters. The tankers were loaded with crude oil from the Umm Qasr port in southern Iraq in the Basra province, and were attacked soon after their voyage got under way."
"Reports of the use of explosive-laden unmanned surface vessels, which Ukraine has used with great effect in its war with Russia, come as Iran has blocked oil shipments from transiting the key Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil transits but has been blocked amid the United States-Israeli war on Iran."
Two fuel tankers, the Safesea Vishnu and Zefyros, were attacked by explosive-laden boats in Iraqi territorial waters near the Gulf, resulting in fires and one confirmed death. The vessels had loaded fuel cargo from Umm Qasr port in Basra province before being targeted in late-night attacks. Iraqi officials condemned the incident as a violation of Iraq's sovereignty and an act of sabotage. Reports indicate Iran may be using unmanned surface vessels similar to those deployed by Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. The attacks occur amid broader regional tensions, including Iran's blocking of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and reports of Iranian mine deployment in the strategic waterway.
#iran-maritime-attacks #oil-tanker-security #unmanned-surface-vessels #strait-of-hormuz-tensions #iraqi-territorial-waters
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]