WASHINGTON: A Japanese-owned chemical tanker struck on Saturday (Dec 23) off the coast of India was targeted by a drone “fired from Iran”, the Pentagon said, a sign of expanding risks to commercial shipping beyond the Red Sea.
The attack came amid a flurry of drone and missile strikes by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on a vital Red Sea shipping lane since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct 7, with the group claiming to act in solidarity with Gaza.
Saturday’s attack took place at around 10am local time (6am GMT) and caused no casualties aboard the vessel, it said, adding that a fire was extinguished.
The United States military “remains in communication with the vessel as it continues toward a destination in India”, it added.
The drone strike occurred 200 nautical miles (370km) off the coast of India, it said, adding that no US Navy vessels were in the vicinity.
It was the first time the Pentagon has openly accused Iran of directly targeting ships since the start of Israel’s war on the militant group Hamas, which is backed by Iran.
The Pentagon statement said the Liberia-flagged MV Chem Pluto was operated by a Dutch entity, although the ship is owned by a Japanese company.
Ambrey, a maritime security firm, said the “chemical/products tanker … was Israel-affiliated” and had been on its way from Saudi Arabia to India.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Dutch company operating the MV Chem Pluto “is connected to Israeli shipping tycoon Idan Ofer”.
The Indian Navy said it had responded to a request for assistance.
“An aircraft was dispatched and it reached overhead the vessel and established safety of the involved ship and its crew,” a navy official told AFP.
“An Indian Navy warship has also been dispatched so as to provide assistance as required.”
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the strike.