All 22 Georgian nationals on board a Greek-owned tanker are safe after a drone attack struck the vessel while it was operating inside Iraqi territorial waters, according to Greece’s Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy.
The tanker, flying the Maltese flag, was carrying out a ship-to-ship transfer when it was hit by what is believed to be an Iranian unmanned surface drone. No injuries were reported, but the tanker drone attack triggered a fire on board the vessel.
Fire brought under control with Iraqi assistance
The fire was brought under control and later extinguished with the help of Iraqi firefighting units and local port authorities, who responded immediately to the incident.
Iraq’s state oil marketing company SOMO confirmed that the ship was transporting concentrated energy products from Basrah Gas Company as part of the country’s hydrocarbon export activities. Officials said the drone attack on the tanker did not interrupt broader export operations.
Rising tensions in the Gulf
The tanker drone attack adds to a series of incidents reported in recent days across the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, raising fresh concerns about maritime security in one of the world’s most critical energy routes.
Video shared on social media showed the Greek-owned tanker Zefyros on fire in the Gulf. A second vessel, Safesea Vishnu Marshall, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was reportedly chartered by an Iraqi company and was present in the area.
A worker at the port of Basrah told AFP he could not confirm whether the strike involved aerial or sea drones, while the United States has accused Iran of mining Gulf waters and the Strait of Hormuz to disrupt global oil markets.
Warnings over possible new attacks
The incident occurred only hours after the US embassy in Baghdad warned of possible attacks by Iran or allied groups against oil and energy infrastructure linked to the United States.
Iraq’s oil ministry called for the protection of international shipping lanes and energy supply routes from regional conflicts, stressing the need to keep global energy flows secure.
Earlier this week, Tehran said it would not allow “the export of even one litre of oil to the hostile camp and its partners until further notice,” in a statement that has increased fears of further tanker drone attack incidents in the region.
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