Two oil tankers were set ablaze in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday after Iran conducted a suicide boat attack, local officials said, marking the latest escalation of Iran’s threat to stop the flow of oil globally.
The vessels caught fire in waters off the coast of Iraq, near the Strait of Hormuz, leaving one crewmember dead while the other 38 were rescued, according to multiple reports.
Farhan al Fartousi, the director general of the Iraqi Ports Company, said the crew was of different nationalities other than Iraqi, but did not provide an update on the state of the ships.
U.K. Maritime Trade Operations also reported an attack in Iraq’s territorial waters, but only recorded one boat on fire. It said the attack was inflicted by an “unknown projectile.”
Iraqi officials, however, said two tankers were struck by explosive-laden boats, triggering fires aboard both vessels. Iranian state media reported that Iran claimed responsibility for the attack.
The boats were registered as the Safesea Vishnu, owned by the U.S.-based company Safesea Transport Inc., and Zefyros, whose owner is based in Greece.
Photos and videos posted on social media show a mushroom cloud of fire and smoke rising from one of the oil tankers.
The incident comes amid rapidly escalating tensions tied to the war involving Iran and U.S. forces in the region, which has spilled into attacks on commercial shipping.
Maritime security agencies have repeatedly warned that vessels transiting the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz face heightened risks from drones, missiles, and other attacks as the conflict intensifies.
Earlier Wednesday, three cargo ships in the crucial passage were struck by Iranian attacks. One ship, flying under a Thai flag, recovered 23 crew members from the water. It was the closest of the three ships to Iran’s coast.
In a statement, Tehran warned that the attacks were only the beginning of its retaliation, saying that not “even a single litre of oil” would be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Officials added that any tanker or vessel headed toward the strait would be considered a legitimate target.
FIRST WEEK OF IRAN WAR COST $11.3 BILLION, PENTAGON TELLS CONGRESS
Following the attacks on the three cargo ships, President Donald Trump claimed the war in Iran was over, as many of the country’s defense infrastructure and personnel had been eliminated.
Trump said Wednesday that U.S. forces had destroyed 31 Iranian minelaying vessels, which are meant to target maritime cargo travelers, and said the country’s navy no longer exists.
