Indian killed in Iranian ‘suicide boat’ attack on US-owned tanker Safesea Vishnu in Iraqi waters

An Indian national has been killed after an Iranian “suicide boat” struck a US-owned oil tanker near Iraq, escalating maritime tensions in the northern Gulf amid the ongoing West Asia crisis.

According to sources, US-owned and Marshal Island-flagged oil tanker Safesea Vishnu came under attack on Wednesday near the port of Khor Al Zubair within Iraqi territorial waters.

Advertisement

The vessel was reportedly hit by an Iranian explosive-laden boat. One Indian crew member was killed in the incident, while the remaining 27 crew and personnel were rescued and taken to Basra, sources said. Authorities have not yet publicly released the identity of the deceased Indian national.

Iraq suspends oil port operations

Following the incident and other reported attacks on vessels near its waters, Iraq on Thursday suspended operations at its oil ports.

Farhan al-Fartousi, Director General of the state-owned General Company for Ports of Iraq, was quoted by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) as saying, “The operation of oil ports has been suspended, commercial ports continue operations.”

Iraq exports the majority of its crude oil through two major offshore terminals, the Al Basrah Oil Terminal and the Khor Al Amaya Oil Terminal, supported by four single-point moorings used for tanker loading. These, along with other commercial ports like Umm Qasr and Khor Al Zubair, manage the country’s maritime oil industry.

UK maritime warning issued

Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued an urgent “ATTACK” warning after reporting a serious maritime incident involving multiple commercial vessels in the northern Gulf.

In an advisory to shipping companies, UKMTO urged vessels to exercise extreme caution while transiting through the area.

“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” the agency said.

The incident has heightened fears over the security of vital maritime routes in the Gulf, which handle a significant share of global oil shipments.