On Saturday, the US military disclosed that a chemical tanker, the Chem Pluto, was struck by a drone launched from Iran in the Indian Ocean. The Pentagon revealed that the vessel was hit “200 nautical miles (370km) from the coast of India” at 10:00 local time (06:00 GMT). Fortunately, a fire onboard was extinguished, and no casualties were reported.
Iran has not provided any comments on the incident. Recent events include a series of drone and rocket attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In a related development, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that on the same day, “two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.” Fortunately, no ships reported being impacted by the ballistic missiles. The USS Laboon warship patrolling the area also intercepted four unmanned aerial drones from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.
Subsequently, a crude oil tanker reported being hit by a Houthi drone in the southern Red Sea, while another tanker experienced a near miss. The rebels, claiming to target Israel-linked vessels due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, have prompted several global shipping groups to suspend operations in the Red Sea due to increased attack risks.
According to the Pentagon, the Chem Pluto was hit by “a one-way attack drone fired from Iran.” The Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated chemical tanker was linked to Israel, according to maritime security firm Ambrey. The incident occurred 200 nautical miles southwest of the city of Veraval in India’s Gujarat state.
The Indian navy dispatched aircraft and warships to provide assistance. National security spokesperson Adrienne Watson remarked that the attack was “consistent with Iran’s long-term material support and encouragement of the Houthis’ destabilizing actions in the region.”
Following the incident, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander, Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Naqdi, warned that Iran would force the closure of waterways other than the Red Sea if “America and its allies continue committing crimes” in Gaza. He mentioned the Mediterranean Sea and Strait of Gibraltar as potential targets but provided no details on how such actions would occur.
