courtesy: asharq al-awsat
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A Japanese-owned chemical tanker struck on December 2024 off the coast of India was targeted by a drone “fired from Iran,” said the Pentagon, which served as a sign of expanding risks to commercial shipping beyond the Red Sea.
This has marked the first time that the Pentagon has openly accused Iran of being directly involved in the attack on the ships since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel.
The attack was launched amid a flurry of new drone and missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group, which is backed by Iran, on the commercial ships in the Red Sea, which they have described as their way of showing solidarity with Gaza.
The attack in Indian Ocean on Saturday took place around 10 am local time and caused no casualties aboard the vessel, Pentagon said in its statement, adding that the fire was extinguished.
The statement added that the vessel is continuing its journey to a destination in India, while the U.S. officials are in contact with it.