Two fuel tankers have been set alight in Iraqi waters in a deadly attack that appears to mark an escalation in the war between Iran and US and Israeli forces.
Explosive-laden Iranian boats appear to have attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member, after projectiles struck four vessels in Gulf waters.
The latest attacks on ships linked to the US and Europe mark an escalation in the conflict between Iran and US-Israeli forces, raising the number of ships struck in the region since fighting began to at least 16.
Shipping in the Gulf and along the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil, has come to a near-standstill since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28, sending global oil prices surging to highs not seen since 2022.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have said that if attacks on Iran continue, they will not allow “one litre of oil” to be shipped from the Middle East to the US, Israel or their partners.
President Donald Trump warned that Washington would strike Iran harder if it blocked oil exports, and said oil companies should use the strait because “just about all of (Iran’s) navy is gone”.
The vessels targeted in Wednesday’s late-night attacks in the Gulf near Iraq were the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Malta-flagged Zefyros, which had loaded fuel cargoes in Iraq, two Iraqi port officials said.
Iraq’s State Organisation for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) said the Safesea Vishnu was chartered by an Iraqi company contracted with SOMO, and Zefyros was loaded with condensate products from Basra Gas Company.
Both were attacked in the ship-to-ship loading area within Iraqi territorial waters, SOMO said.
Iraq’s oil ports had stopped operations following the assaults, while commercial ports continued to function, Iraq’s state news agency said.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the crew of one ship had been evacuated and were reported safe.
“A boat belonging to the Iraqi Ports Company rescued 25 crew members from the two vessels, and the fires are still burning on both ships,” Farhan al-Fartousi, GCPI’s director-general, told Reuters.
Iraqi rescue teams continue searching for other seafarers after pulling one foreign crew member’s body from the water.
Two projectiles of unknown origin struck the Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree dry bulk vessel as it sailed through the strait earlier on Wednesday, causing a fire and damaging the engine room, operator Precious Shipping said.
The company was working with authorities to rescue three crew members believed trapped in the engine room, it said, adding the remaining 20 crew members had been safely evacuated to Oman.
Iran’s Guards said the ship was “fired upon by Iranian fighters”, suggesting the first direct engagement by the Guards who have previously fired missiles or drones.
The US Navy has refused near-daily requests from the shipping industry for military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war on Iran, saying the risk of attacks is too high for now, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Two container ships and a bulk carrier suffered minor damage after being struck by unknown projectiles on Wednesday and early Thursday in seas off the United Arab Emirates.
Each ship’s crew was reported safe.
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