Tanker Struck Off India Coast by Iranian Drone, Reveals US

The US military reports that on Saturday, a drone launched from Iran struck a chemical ship in the Indian Ocean.

 

According to the Pentagon, at 10:00 local time (06:00 GMT), the Chem Pluto vessel was hit "200 nautical miles (370km) from the coast of India". On board the ship, a fire was extinguished. No casualties reported. 

Iran has not offered any remarks. The Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are supported by Iran, have lately launched a number of drone and missile strikes on ships in the Red Sea.

Separately, two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international maritime lanes in the Southern Red Sea from Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen on Saturday, according to a statement released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM). There have been no reports of ballistic missile strikes on any ships.

Additionally, it added that four unmanned aerial drones that were headed towards the USS Laboon destroyer from Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen were shot down by the patrolling USS Laboon.

A Houthi drone struck a crude oil ship in the southern Red Sea later that day, and another vessel had a close miss.

Much of Yemen is under the rebels' control, and they say they are targeting Israeli-affiliated ships because of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Owing to the elevated danger of assaults, a number of major international maritime companies have ceased operations in the Red Sea.

The Pentagon claimed in a statement that "a one-way attack drone fired from Iran" struck Chem Pluto.

It claimed to be "a Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated chemical tanker" .

The ship was reportedly travelling from Saudi Arabia to India and was associated with Israel, according to maritime security company Ambrey.

The incident occurred in the Indian state of Gujarat, 200 nautical miles southwest of the city of Veraval, according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

Water was brought onboard and the tanker sustained structural damage as a result of the impact.

The incident, according to Ambrey, occurred in an area the company deemed a "heightened threat area" for Iranian drones. It is the first of its sort to occur thus far away from the Red Sea.

The Indian Navy offered support by sending a plane and warships.

Iran was charged by the US earlier on Saturday for allegedly being "deeply involved" in the planning of operations against commercial ships in the Red Sea.

It was "consistent with Iran's long-term material support and encouragement of the Houthis' destabilising actions in the region," according to national security spokesman Adrienne Watson.

Later, a commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards issued a warning, stating that if "America and its allies continue committing crimes" in Gaza, they will compel the shutdown of all other waterways.

The Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar may be among them, according to Brig Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi, although he did not elaborate on how this might occur.