An Iranian drone hit a chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean on Saturday, according to the Pentagon. This marks the latest escalation in tensions and risks to shipping routes following Israel's war with the militant group Hamas.
“The motor vessel CHEM PLUTO, a Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned and Dutch-operated chemical tanker, was struck in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles from the coast of India, at around 10 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT) today. by a disposable attack drone fired from Iran,” a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed to The Hill.
The Pentagon said this was the “seventh Iranian attack on commercial shipping since 2021.”
No casualties were reported. A fire broke out on board the tanker and has since been extinguished, the spokesman said.
There were no U.S. Navy ships nearby, while U.S. Naval Forces Central Command remains in communication with the U.S. ship en route to India.
The attack follows Iran's threat earlier Saturday that the Mediterranean could be “closed” if the US and Israel continue their “crimes” in Gaza. Iran, which has long supported Hamas, accused the Israeli military and the United States – a close ally of Israel – of committing war crimes in Gaza.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 20,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since the beginning of October as a result of Israel's retaliatory campaign against Hamas.
The United States has expressed unwavering support for Israel's right to defend itself against the October 7 Hamas attack that killed an estimated 1,200 people in Israel. But that support has led to an increase in attacks on U.S. and coalition troops in the Middle East by suspected Iranian-backed militants.
U.S. officials previously told The Hill that they believe Iran wants to force a U.S. military withdrawal from the region.
The threat represents the latest threat to shipping lanes after tensions escalated in the Red Sea, where Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked several ships. Houthi rebels claimed the attacks, several of which targeted Israeli-backed ships, were carried out in the hope of curbing Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks in Gaza.
A number of shipping companies suspended operations in the Red Sea earlier this month following such attacks, impacting their shipping routes and global oil prices.
As the US reaffirms its support for Israel, the Biden administration has in recent weeks increased its calls for Israel to actively seek to protect the lives of civilians and for the country to seek to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas since 2007 Gaza ruled.
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