Two foreign oil tankers were attacked near the al-Faw port in Iraq even as Kuwait, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia continued to intercept more Iranian missiles and drones, Al Jazeera reported.
The strike came just hours after a Thai cargo vessel was hit in the Strait of Hormuz, and drones struck fuel tanks in Oman’s port of Salalah, according to the report. A spokesman for Iraq’s Army said that one crew member was killed and 38 others were rescued, the Iraq News Agency (INA) reported.
“Two oil tankers were subjected to a cowardly act of sabotage,” Lieutenant General Saad Maan said, adding “the attack took place within Iraqi territorial waters.” Maan said the assault “constitutes a violation of Iraqi sovereignty,” announcing “Iraq reserves the right to take legal action.”
The latest attacks on shipping in the Gulf region takes the total number of ships struck to at least 16 amid ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, Reuters noted. Between March 1 and 7, ten ships were damaged either via projectiles or blasts, according to the report.
Here are the latest attacks on shipping in Gulf region:
Oil tankers near al-Faw port in Iraq
Fuel tankers, namely, Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Maltese-flagged Zefyros, were attacked in the Gulf near Iraq, prompting Iraq’s oil ports to completely stop operations, according to port officials and the state news agency.
An Indian sailor, who was part of a 16-member Indian crew on the US-owned tanker Safesea Vishnu, was killed, the Indian Embassy in Baghdad informed on Thursday.
Meanwhile, 15 other crew members have been evacuated.
Thailand’s Mayuree Naree
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The al-Faw port strike came hours after a Thai cargo vessel was hit, while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel, named Mayuree Naree, was struck on Wednesday by “two projectiles of unknown origin,” was bound for Kandla in India.
In a statement, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs wrote: “India deplores the fact that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks in the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Precious lives, including of Indian citizens, have already been lost in multiple such attacks in the earlier phase of this conflict and the intensity and lethality of the attacks only seems to be increasing.”
The Royal Thai Navy said in a statement that 23 Thai crew members were aboard, out of which, Oman’s navy rescued 20 crew members. The cause of the attack still remains under investigation.
Japan’s ONE Majesty
The Japan-flagged container ship, ONE Majesty, too sustained minor damage Thursday from an “unknown” projectile 25 nautical miles (46 km) northwest of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, two maritime security firms stated.
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Its Japanese owner, Mitsui OSK Lines, and a spokesperson for Ocean Network Express, its charterer, told Reuters that the vessel was struck while anchored in the Persian Gulf. An inspection of the hull revealed minor damage above the waterline.
All crew were safe, they said, adding that the vessel continues to remains fully operational and seaworthy. The cause of the incident remained unclear and was under investigation, Reuters noted.
Marshall Islands’ Star Gwyneth
A bulk carrier, was hit by an “unknown” projectile around 50 miles (30 miles) northwest of Dubai, Reuters reported quoting maritime security firms.
The projectile damaged the hull of the Marshall Islands-flagged Star Gwyneth, maritime risk management company, Vanguard, said, adding that the vessel’s crew were safe.
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Owner Star Bulk Carriers said the ship was hit in the hold area where it was anchored. There were no crew injuries, the report mentioned.
Fuel tanks in Oman’s Salalah port
Oil storage facilities were struck in Oman’s Salalah port on Wednesday. No damage to merchant vessels was reported.
An energy ministry official told Oman’s state news agency that there was no disruption to the continuity of oil supplies or petroleum derivatives in the country.
