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After four ships were hit by projectiles in Gulf waters, a ship carrying Iranian explosives appears to have attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member, according to reports.
The ships targeted in the late Wednesday attack in the Gulf near Iraq were the Marshall Islands-flagged SafeSea Vishnu and Zephyros, which were loading fuel cargo in Iraq, two Iraqi port officials told Reuters. An Iraqi port security official said the Zephyros was registered in Malta.
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“We have recovered the body of a foreign sailor from the water,” a port security official said, as Iraqi rescue teams continued to search for other missing sailors. It was not immediately clear which ship the person was associated with.
“Iraqi Ports Company boats rescued the 25 crew members of the two ships, but the fires on both ships are still ongoing,” Farhan al-Fartusi, director of the state-run Iraqi Ports General Corporation (GCPI), told Reuters.
Al-Fartusi told Iraq’s state-run news agency that the oil port has completely ceased operations following the attack, but the commercial port continues to function.
Al Jazeera correspondent Mahmoud Abdulwahed in Baghdad said the attacks on the two tankers were described as sabotage by authorities.
“Iraqi officials say this is a serious violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, given the fact that this sabotage took place within Iraqi territorial waters,” Abdulwahed said.
Reuters said the reports about Ukraine’s use of explosive-laden unmanned surface vessels, which have been used to great effect in its war with Russia, come as Iran is blocking oil shipments through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes, amid the United States and Israel’s war against Iran.
Reuters also reported on Wednesday, citing two unnamed sources, that Iran had laid about a dozen mines in the strait, while US President Donald Trump said the US military had attacked 28 Iranian minelayers, as Trump warned of grave consequences if Iran laid mines in the critical waterway for global shipping.
Strait of Hormuz blockade
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has warned that all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted.
Early on Thursday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Center said an unidentified projectile struck a container ship at sea 35 nautical miles (64.8 km) north of Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, causing a small fire. The crew were reported to be safe.
Thai-flagged operator Precious Shipping said in a statement on Wednesday that the Thai-flagged Mayuri Nary dry bulk carrier was hit by “two projectiles of unknown origin” while sailing through the strait, causing a fire and damaging the engine room.
“Three crew members are reported missing and are believed to be trapped in the engine room,” Precious Shipping said.
“We are cooperating with the relevant authorities to rescue the three missing crew members,” the company said, adding that the remaining 20 crew members have been safely evacuated and landed in Oman.
Images shared by Thai news outlet Khaosod English showed the alleged crew of the ship after it was rescued by the Omani Navy.
In a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the Revolutionary Guards said the ship “came under fire by Iranian fighter jets,” marking the first direct engagement by the Revolutionary Guards, which have previously launched missiles and drones.
The Japanese-flagged container ship One Majesty was also slightly damaged by an unknown projectile at sea 25 nautical miles (approximately 46 kilometers) northwest of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday, two coast guard companies said. A spokeswoman for Japanese owner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and charterer Ocean Network Express said the ship was struck while anchored in the Gulf and an inspection of the hull revealed minor damage above the waterline.
All crew members are safe and the ship remains fully navigable and seaworthy, it added. The owner said the cause of the accident remains unknown and under investigation.
A third bulk carrier was also struck by an unknown projectile about 50 nautical miles (93 kilometers) northwest of Dubai, coast guard companies said.
Maritime risk management company Vanguard said the projectile damaged the hull of the Marshall Islands-flagged Star Gwyneth, adding that the ship’s crew were safe. The ship’s owner, Star Bulk Carriers, said the ship was struck in the hold area while at anchor. There were no injuries to the crew and there were no sailors listed.
The US Navy has rejected near-daily requests from the shipping industry for military escort through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war with Iran, and the risk of attack is too high at this point, officials told Reuters.
