Iraq's oil ports have completely ceased operations following an attack on a fuel tanker that left one crew member dead and 38 rescued, an Iraqi official has said. Farhan Al-Fartousi, head of the General Company for Ports, told state news agency INA that a search for missing personnel is ongoing. The incident occurred approximately 30 miles off the Iraqi coast.
Two foreign tankers carrying Iraqi fuel oil were set ablaze after being attacked by Iranian boats laden with explosives, according to Iraqi port security officials. The targeted vessels were the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Malta-flagged Zefyros. Al-Fartousi noted that one of the smaller tankers involved flies the Maltese flag and was hit by an explosion, though it remains unclear whether it was a direct strike or a waterborne improvised explosive device.
In a separate incident, three crew members aboard a Thai-flagged dry bulk vessel, the Mayuree Naree, are believed trapped in the engine room after being struck by two projectiles of unknown origin while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. The ship's operator, Precious Shipping, stated that the remaining 20 crew members have been safely evacuated and are ashore in Oman. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility, saying the ship was fired upon by Iranian fighters.
The US Navy has reportedly refused repeated requests from the shipping industry for military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the conflict, citing high risk. Meanwhile, the US has announced the release of hundreds of millions of barrels of emergency crude from government reserves to calm markets, as oil prices surged to four-year highs before falling back below $100 per barrel.
