The US Department of Defense announced in a statement that a Japanese chemical tanker was struck on Saturday 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) off the coast of India by an “attack drone launched from Iran.”
• Read also: Drone strike on a ship off the Indian coast
The Pentagon added that the attack, which occurred at 10 a.m. local time (1 p.m. Eastern time), did not result in any casualties and the fire was extinguished, adding that the US military “is still in contact with the ship as it continues its journey.” En route to a destination in India.
The US Department said that the ship Kim Pluto sails under the flag of Liberia and is managed by a Dutch company.
There were no US warships close to the chemical tanker at the time of the attack, and the attack was not immediately announced.
India said it responded to the request for assistance. An Indian Navy official told AFP: “An aircraft was sent to the scene to ensure the safety of the ship and its crew.”
“An Indian Navy warship has also been sent to the site to provide necessary assistance,” he added.
This incident comes as a wave of attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemeni Houthi rebels with drones and missiles threatens to disrupt global trade flows, with major shipping companies cutting off traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which separates the Arabian Peninsula from the Red Sea. Africa.
The Houthis, who control the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, are “part of the axis of resistance” against Israel, which includes other groups supported by Iran, such as the Palestinian Hamas or the Lebanese Hezbollah.
