The Head of Iraq’s General Company for Ports, Farhan al-Fartousi has disclosed that all oil terminal operations have been completely suspended, while commercial ports continue to function normally.
The announcement, made to the Iraqi News Agency, follows attacks by explosive-laden boats on two crude oil tankers that had loaded at the Umm Qasr port in Iraq’s Basra province.
Director-General of the state-owned General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI), Al-Fartousi, added that rescuers recovered one body and helped 38 others after the attack.
Iranian explosive-laden boats appear to have attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member, after projectiles struck four vessels in Gulf waters, according to reports.
The ships targeted in late-night attacks on Wednesday in the Gulf near Iraq were the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Zefyros, which had loaded fuel cargoes in Iraq, two Iraqi port officials told the Reuters news agency. One Iraqi port security source said that the Zefyros was flagged in Malta.
One port security official said, “We recovered the body of a foreign crew member from the water,” as Iraqi rescue teams continued searching for other missing seafarers. It was not immediately clear which ship that person was linked to.
Al-Fartousi told Iraq’s state news, “A boat belonging to the Iraqi Ports Company rescued 25 crew members from the two vessels, and the fires are still burning on both ships.”
The development comes as traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway carrying a fifth of the world’s oil and gas, has in effect stopped, with Iran pledging that “not even a single litre of oil” would be exported from the Gulf to the US, Israel and its partners as long as the war on Tehran continues.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have warned that any ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted.
Early on today, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre said an unidentified projectile struck a container ship, causing a small fire, 35 nautical miles (64.8km) north of Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates. The crew were reported safe.
Meanwhile, the Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree dry bulk vessel was struck by “two projectiles of unknown origin” while sailing through the strait yesterday, causing a fire and damaging the engine room, the ship’s Thai-listed operator Precious Shipping said in a statement.
Precious Shipping said that three crew members are reported missing and “believed to be trapped in the engine room.” “The company is working with the relevant authorities to rescue these three missing crew members,” it said, adding that the remaining 20 crew members had been safely evacuated and were ashore in Oman.
The IRGC said in a statement carried by the semiofficial Tasnim news agency that the ship was “fired upon by Iranian fighters” suggesting the first direct engagement by the IRGC, which has previously fired missiles or drones.
Two maritime security firms said that the Japan-flagged container ship ONE Majesty also sustained minor damage yesterday day from an unknown projectile 25 nautical miles (about 46 kilometres) northwest of Ras Al-Khaimah in the UAE.
Its Japanese owner Mitsui OSK Lines and a Spokesperson for Ocean Network Express, its charterer, said that the vessel was struck while at anchor in the Gulf, and an inspection of the hull revealed minor damage above the waterline.
All crew are safe, they said, adding that the vessel remains fully operational and seaworthy. The owner said the cause of the incident remained unclear and was under investigation.
A third vessel, a bulk carrier, was also hit by an unknown projectile approximately 50 nautical miles (about 93km) northwest of Dubai, maritime security firms said.
The projectile had damaged the hull of the Marshall Islands-flagged Star Gwyneth, maritime risk management company Vanguard said, adding that the vessel’s crew were safe.
Owner Star Bulk Carriers said the ship was hit in the hold area while it was anchored. There were no crew injuries and no listing.
Iran Targets Gulf Nations With Missiles
Iran launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks on Gulf countries today, the 13th day of the United States-Israel war on Tehran, with Bahrain reporting strikes on fuel tanks amid surging oil prices.
Bahrain told residents this morning to stay inside and close windows after the attack in Muharraq Governorate. The country hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and has been consistently targeted amid the ongoing war.
Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said that it intercepted drones headed towards the Shaybah oilfield and the embassies district. It said that it had intercepted seven drones heading to the oilfield on yesterday.
Saudi Arabia’s eastern neighbour Kuwait also reported attacks on its territory, saying two people were wounded by a “hostile drone” that hit a residential building. The Defence Ministry added that the attack also caused material damage.
So far, the US-Israel war on Iran has killed about 2,000 people and thrown global energy markets and transport into chaos.
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