Drone and Missile Attacks Target Cargo Ships near Iraq
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for a missile attack on the MSC Sariska V cargo ship near Iraq's Umm Qasr port, calling it retaliation for U.S. military action.
A cargo vessel operating near Iraq’s Umm Qasr port was struck by drones on Monday in what Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps now claims was a missile retaliation against Western commercial shipping, following a U.S. Navy enforcement action in the Gulf of Oman.
The incident unfolded approximately 40 nautical miles southeast of Umm Qasr, where a commercial ship was hit by a projectile on its starboard side, causing a substantial explosion, according to Breitbart News. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center confirmed the initial strike but did not immediately identify the targeted vessel.
Iraqi officials reported that a second explosion occurred as emergency responders were still addressing damage from the first attack. A member of the Iraqi maritime patrol described the harrowing scene, noting that a drone was heard hovering overhead before delivering a powerful blast that ignited a fire aboard the tanker.
MSC Vessel Confirmed as Target
By Monday evening, the EOS Marine security service identified the ship as the MSC Sariska V, a Panama-flagged container vessel owned by the Mediterranean Shipping Company, the world’s largest container shipping line. Martin Kelly, Head of Advisory at EOS Marine, stated the ship had likely been struck by an uncrewed surface vessel in Iraqi territorial waters after completing cargo operations at Umm Qasr.
MSC confirmed on Tuesday that the Sariska V sustained hits from two projectiles. The company expressed deep concern over what it termed unprovoked attacks that endanger seafarers and essential maritime trade throughout the region.
IRGC Claims Responsibility
Iran’s state-run Tasnim news service published a statement from the IRGC Navy claiming responsibility for attacking the Sariska V with a cruise missile, as Breitbart News reports. The terror organization characterized the vessel as property of the “U.S.-Zionist enemy” and framed the strike as retaliation for American military action against the Iranian ship MV Lian Star in the Sea of Oman.
The IRGC warned that any act of aggression by U.S. forces in the region would provoke a decisive response.
U.S. Blockade Enforcement
The MV Lian Star, a Gambia-flagged cargo vessel, attempted to breach the U.S. blockade of Iran on Friday night. After ignoring more than 20 warnings from the U.S. Navy, the ship was disabled by a Hellfire missile strike to its engine room and left adrift in the Gulf of Oman.
U.S. Central Command noted in its statement that American forces have disabled five commercial vessels and redirected 116 others to fully enforce the blockade while a ceasefire with Iran remains in effect.
With information from Breitbart News
