In a recent incident, a chemical tanker flagged under Liberia, named Chem Pluto, was attacked by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near the coast of India. The Pentagon has stated that the UAV, which launched the attack on Saturday, December 23rd, was launched from Iran. This information comes from a report by The Wall Street Journal.
According to the publication, the attack took place at approximately 10:00 local time, about 370 km off the coast of India. The UAV struck the tanker, causing damage. It has been confirmed that the attack was launched from Iranian territory.
The Chem Pluto was carrying raw crude oil and had 20 Indian nationals on board at the time of the attack. Upon learning of the incident, the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy dispatched ships to assist the affected tanker. Nearby vessels were also alerted about the incident and were asked to provide assistance. Although the fire on board the tanker has been extinguished, it had a significant impact on its operations.
Analytical publication Ambrey has reported that the tanker was sailing under the flag of Liberia but was associated with Israel, as reported by India Today. The vessel was en route from Saudi Arabia to India.
This incident comes after the United States had previously accused Iran of preparing attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea.
