India's Navy has released images showing the damage to the commercial tanker that was attacked two days ago by a UAV allegedly dispatched by Iran. The tanker, called Chem Pluto, is said to have Israeli ties. It is now located in Mumbai harbor.
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Reports indicate the UAV attack caused a fire that was later put out, and no casualties were identified. The tanker displays a Liberian flag, and was reportedly attacked about 120 miles southwest of the Indian coastal city of Veraval. The attack left a hole at the side of the tanker, rendering it unable to function at full capacity.
It was further reported that the tanker carried crude oil originating from a Saudi port, with 21 Indian crew members and one from Vietnam. An Indian navy vessel accompanied the ship all the way to a port in Mumbai.
"An analysis of the area of attack and destruction indicates a UAV attack, but additional forensic and technical tests are required," the Indian Navy said on Monday in a statement, as it released the images. The objective is to ascertain the direction of the attack, its type, and the quantity of explosives used.
Recent ship attacks have been primarily blamed on the Houthis in Yemen. They have declared the imposition of a naval blockade on Israel, vowing to obstruct the passage of ships through the Red Sea bound for Israel. Furthermore, they have explicitly stated their intent to target any ship connected to Israel that passes through the region.
Despite the recent formal announcement by the United States regarding the establishment of a multinational force to counter the Houthi threat in the area, the Houthis remain undeterred and persist in their attacks. Notably, the geographical distance from Yemen to this region raises questions. The Pentagon has implicated Iran in these events, pointing an accusatory finger at the Islamic Republic.
According to the White House, Iran's involvement in planning the Houthis' attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea has been confirmed despite previous denials. Washington has asserted that Iran's intelligence support empowers the Houthi rebels to execute these attacks.
Mohammad Reza Naqdi, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), issued a threat on Saturday, warning that if the United States and its allies continue to commit what he referred to as "crimes" in Gaza, the Mediterranean Sea would also be closed off. Naqdi was quoted by an Iranian news agency as saying: "Expect the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar, and other shipping lanes."
It remains unclear how Iran intends to carry out this threat, considering its lack of direct access to the Mediterranean Sea. However, Naqdi mentioned the emergence of new resistance forces. "Yesterday, the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz became a nightmare for them, and today they are trapped in the Red Sea," he said. The only organizations currently supported by Iran on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea are Hezbollah in Lebanon and militias in Syria.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, said on Saturday: "Islamic nations must prevent the arrival of oil and other commodities to Israel, as it withholds fresh water from Gazan citizens. Nations of Islam must demand their governments to cease all aid to Israel and disavow all relations, at least temporarily."