One killed, dozens rescued after two oil tankers attacked off Iraq’s southern coast

BASRA — An attack on two oil tankers in Iraqi territorial waters near Faw killed at least one crew member and left others missing early Thursday, as rescue operations continued at the site, Iraqi port authorities said.

Farhan al-Fartousi, director general of the General Company for Ports of Iraq, told state television that one crew member had been killed and 38 rescued while the “search continues for the missing.” He did not specify the crew members’ nationalities or who was behind the attack, which occurred roughly 50 kilometers from the coast.

Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil, known as SOMO, confirmed two tankers were attacked in a side-by-side loading area inside Iraqi territorial waters. The first, SAFESEA VISHNU, flies the Marshall Islands flag and was chartered by an Iraqi company contracted with SOMO.

The second, ZEFYROS, flies the Maltese flag and was preparing to take on 30,000 tons of liquid naphtha — primarily used in petrochemicals — at the port of Khor al-Zoubair.

An employee at Iraq’s Basra oil terminal told AFP it was unclear “whether it was a drone attack or explosive-laden boats.”

Video recorded by Iraqi sailors showed flames rising from one of the vessels while oil slicks appeared in Gulf waters near the Iraqi coast. Footage later showed rescued crew members arriving at port facilities.

Iraq’s oil ministry expressed “deep concern” about the incidents, saying the “safety of navigation in international maritime corridors and energy supply routes must remain free from regional conflicts.” SOMO said the attacks could affect Iraq’s security and economy and posed a threat to maritime navigation and oil operations in Iraqi territorial waters.

The attack comes hours after the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad warned that Iran and Tehran-aligned Iraqi armed groups might target U.S.-owned oil facilities in Iraq. The Strait of Hormuz — which carries a fifth of the world’s oil — remains closed to almost all tankers, with Iran vowing that no oil would be exported from the Gulf while its war with the United States and Israel continues.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that U.S. forces have struck 28 Iranian mine-laying vessels since the start of the conflict.

AFP contributed to this report