An oil ship was attacked yesterday off the coast of India
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The drone that hit a chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean the day before was launched from Iran. This was reported by the US Department of Defense.
“The M/S CHEM PLUTO, a Liberian-flagged chemical tanker owned by Japan and operated by the Netherlands, was struck… at approximately 10 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT) in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles off the coast of India. attack drone launched from Iran,” a Pentagon spokesman told Reuters.
A Liberian-flagged chemical tanker was reportedly damaged 200 nautical miles off the Indian port of Veraval in the first known attack this far from the Red Sea since the war between Israel and Hamas began.
Iran’s Foreign Minister said his country does not have any proxy groups in the region, denying involvement in attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houtists.
“Actions committed by others should not be attributed to Iran’s proxy groups. We do not have any proxy groups in the region,” Hossein Amirabdollahian said.
He made these comments on Saturday after the Tehran International Conference on Palestine.
Attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on merchant ships in the Red Sea have led to much of the shipping being diverted away from the critical maritime artery. This is expected to lead to delays and higher prices in the supply of consumer goods and energy.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, typically carries oil, natural gas, grain and everything from toys to electronics on its way to the Suez Canal, which carries 12% of global trade.
The Houthis, an Iranian-backed rebel, captured the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014. They are waging a brutal war against a Saudi-led coalition seeking to restore the country’s legitimate government.
The Houthis periodically attacked ships in the region, but with the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas, attacks became more frequent – the Houthis announced that they were going to war with Israel.
They use drones and anti-ship missiles to attack ships, and in one case used a helicopter to board and seize an Israeli-owned ship and its crew.
The United States and several other countries are creating new forces to protect ships passing through the Red Sea, which are under attack from drones and ballistic missiles from Yemen. A number of EU countries have already agreed to take part in the operations. Spain refused.
2023-12-24 17:13:26
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