India: The US Department of Defense has stated that an attack on a chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean on Saturday was caused by a drone that was launched by Iran.
According to a Pentagon spokesperson, a “one-way attack drone fried from Iran” struck the motor vessel CHEM PLUTO at about six in the morning UK time, 200 nautical miles off the coast of India.
The Pentagon also stated that no one was harmed in the incident, which it claims was Iran’s seventh on commercial shipping since 2021, and that the fire was put out on board.
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict, this was the first known attack to occur so far from the Red Sea.
Ambrey, a global maritime risk firm with headquarters in Hereford, had previously stated that the ship was “Israel-affiliated” but did not elaborate on the connections. It had made its most recent port call in Saudi Arabia before sailing for India.
“Merchant vessels are advised these types of attacks are typically targeted at Israel-affiliated shipping, but have in the past mistakenly hit previously Israel-affiliated vessels,” Ambrey added.
The Yemeni rebel group, the Houthis, claim their attacks are directed at ships with ties to Israel and are in support of the Palestinian people who are under Israeli siege in Gaza. As a result, there have been an increasing number of threats made against vessels off the coast of Yemen.
The shipping company asked for help, and the Indian Navy came through, an official said. Twenty Indian nationals and one Vietnamese person were on board the ship, as per the Indian Coast Guard.
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