The war in the Middle East is continuously increasing. Now on Monday, two big explosions took place on a cargo ship in the Gulf. Iran has taken responsibility for this attack. Iran said that its security forces targeted the ship near Iraq’s Umm Qasr port. The media department of the Iraqi Port Company confirmed the sighting of the ship near Umm Qasr.
Iraqi officials said that the attack took place about 40 nautical miles southeast of Iraq’s Umm Qasr Port. According to Iranian news channel IRINN, the Navy of Iran’s ‘Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) has carried out this entire action.
Ship targeted with cruise missile
According to Iranian media reports, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for targeting a Panama-flagged ship with a cruise missile and identified it as the US-owned MSC Sariska V. The action by the IRGC was in direct retaliation for a previous attack targeting an Iranian vessel off the coast of Oman.
A huge explosion off the coast of Iraq
This claim comes at a time when a cargo ship passing through the Arabian Sea was attacked by an unidentified missile on Monday, causing a huge explosion off the coast of Iraq and launching an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. According to the British maritime security monitoring organisation, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the vessel was targeted on her starboard side while traveling about 40 nautical miles (74 km) south east of Umm Qasr.
The Maritime Safety Agency said that after the collision there was a massive explosion. Giving this information, UK MTO said that it has not yet confirmed the exact identity of the affected ship. The security body said the crew members on board the affected ship survived the attack without injury and the vessel was able to continue its voyage towards its next port.
Unloading work completed at Um Qasr port
The UK MTO further said that it was not aware of any environmental damage from the incident and confirmed that authorities were investigating the matter. According to a Gulf News report, quoting Iraq’s Alsumaria News, the ship has been identified as the Panama-flagged MSC Sariska V. The ship was hit by an explosion near buoy number five, within Iraqi territorial waters, after offloading at Um Qasr port, the network reported.
All personnel on board the ship are safe
However, contrary to the IRGC’s claims of a missile attack, initial assessments of the explosion suggest that it was caused by an internal mechanical failure rather than an attack from outside the ship. Citing a security source, the broadcaster said the investigation found no evidence to suggest the ship was deliberately targeted by hostile elements. The report also confirmed that all personnel on board survived without any injuries, and noted that structural impacts appeared to be limited to the ship.
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