The ship MV Chem Pluto was attacked off the coast of India.| Photo: Reproduction/X @IndiaCoastGuard
The US Department of Defense said a drone sent by Iran hit a merchant ship off the coast of India on Saturday (23). It was the first time since the start of the war between Israel and Tehranbacked Hamas terrorists that the Pentagon openly accused the Iranians of attacking ships.
The aggression deepened the threat to maritime traffic in the Red Sea a key route marked by more than 100 drone and missile attacks in recent weeks by Yemen's Houthi rebels, who are also backed by Iran.
According to the US Armed Forces, the attack caused no casualties among the crew of the MS Chem Pluto, which only caused material damage. The tanker is owned by a Japanese company, operated by a Dutch company and sails under the Liberian flag. According to the Indian Defense Ministry, the cargo ship was transporting crude oil from Saudi Arabia to India.
Representatives of Ambrey, a British maritime security company, said in a statement that the ship was “related to Israeli interests.” The American newspaper “Wall Street Journal” reported that the ship operator had connections to the Israeli shipowner Idan Ofer.
According to international news agencies, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard source warned of the forced closure of other waterways in the region unless Israel ends the war against Hamas. Since the Houthi rebels launched attacks in the Red Sea in support of the Palestinians, major companies have been forced to reroute their cargo ships to the southern tip of Africa making journeys more expensive and longer.
Last week, the US announced the formation of a coalition of more than 20 countries to protect the Red Sea crossing. And also on Saturday, the Pentagon reported that its warship Laboon shot down four Huthucontrolled drones in Yemen.
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