An Indian crew member died after a US-owned crude oil tanker, Safesea Vishnu, was attacked by Iran near Basra in Iraq yesterday. The remaining 15 Indian crew members on board have since been evacuated and moved to safety, the Indian Embassy in Baghdad informed. Another oil tanker was also caught ablaze in the Persian Gulf after coming under attack in Iraq’s territorial waters. Iran has claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying an underwater drone attack “blew up two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf”, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB. The ships that were attacked were the Maltese-flagged Zefyros and the Marshallese-flagged Safesea Vishnu. Safesea Vishnu is owned by the US-based company Safesea Transport Inc., while Zefyros’ owner is based in Greece. The Indian embassy has said it is in regular touch with the authorities in Iraq and the rescued Indian sailors.
About The Author
