Explosives-laden drone boats believed to be operated by Iran attacked two oil tankers in Iraqi territorial waters on Wednesday, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member, Iraqi officials said.
The attacks are part of a broader escalation in the Persian Gulf, where Iran has targeted six vessels in recent days. In addition to the tanker strikes, three cargo ships were hit by gunfire near the Strait of Hormuz, and another incident was reported Thursday morning near Jebel Ali, the United Arab Emirates’ largest port. According to reports, a container ship there was struck by an unidentified object, sparking a fire on board.
Oil tankers attacked by Iran in Iraqi waters
(Video: Reuters)
Since the start of the war, at least 16 ships have been damaged in the region. Shipping traffic in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz—through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes—has nearly halted since the United States and Israel began strikes against Iran on February 28.
The disruption has pushed global oil prices sharply higher, reaching levels not seen since 2022. Prices briefly declined after U.S. President Donald Trump said the war was “pretty much completed,” but climbed again on Thursday, rising above $100 per barrel despite international efforts to stabilize markets.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that, if attacks on Iran continue, it will not allow “a single liter of oil” to pass from the Middle East to the United States, Israel or their allies.
Trump warned that Washington would respond forcefully if Iran attempted to halt global oil exports, saying oil companies should continue using the Strait of Hormuz because “almost the entire Iranian fleet is gone.”
The two tankers attacked Wednesday near Iraq were the Safesea Vishnu and the Zefyros, sailing under the flags of the Marshall Islands and Malta, respectively. Both vessels were carrying fuel cargoes from Iraq.
Iraq’s state oil marketing organization, SOMO, said the Safesea Vishnu had been chartered by an Iraqi company, while the Zefyros was transporting a shipment from the Basra Gas Company. The vessels were struck in Iraqi territorial waters in an area where tankers typically receive cargo transferred from other ships.
Attack against an oil tanker in waters near Iraq
Following the attacks, Iraq’s oil ports halted operations entirely, while commercial ports remain open.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported that the crew of one tanker was evacuated safely and that there was no immediate danger to those aboard.
“A boat from the Iraqi Ports Company rescued 25 crew members from the two vessels, and the fire is still burning on both ships,” said Farhan al-Fartousi, head of Iraq’s state ports company.
Rescue teams are continuing to search for additional victims. “We pulled the body of one foreign crew member from the water,” one Iraqi official said.