Iranian Drone Boats Attack Two Oil Tankers Off Iraq, Kill One Crew Member

Two oil tankers — the Marshall Islands‑flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Maltese‑flagged Zefyros — were struck and set ablaze in Iraqi territorial waters near Basra/Khor al‑Zubair late on Wednesday, leaving at least one crew member dead and dozens rescued.

“Massive fires on two oil tankers after attack in Iraqi waters Explosive-laden Iranian boats appear to have attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member, after projectiles struck four vessels in Gulf waters, according to reports”

Al Jazeera

Iraqi port and rescue officials described dramatic fires and evacuations as crews were pulled from the water, and video and verification by international agencies showed both vessels engulfed in flames.

Al Jazeera

Multiple outlets identified the two vessels by name and flag, and reported that rescue teams recovered the body of a foreign crew member while evacuating the survivors to safety.

Iraqi and international reporting attributes the strikes to explosive‑laden small boats or unmanned surface/underwater drones linked to Iran, with Iran or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps publicly claiming responsibility for related Gulf attacks.

Descriptions across sources vary between "explosive‑laden Iranian boats," "drone boats," and an "underwater drone attack," reflecting differing eyewitness, military and official accounts while converging on a common picture of weaponised small craft or unmanned systems used against merchant shipping.

CNN

Iraqi authorities said the strikes occurred inside Iraq’s territorial waters and denounced the attacks as a violation of sovereignty; port officials suspended oil‑terminal operations and launched search-and-rescue missions.

“• Tankers ablaze: Iran has ramped up retaliatory attacks on energy supplies with strikes on two foreign oil tankers in Iraqi waters”

CNN

Iraqi officials and military spokespeople emphasised the incident as "sabotage" and indicated the country may pursue legal or defensive measures while continuing to account for missing crew members.

The strikes form part of a broader recent escalation that has damaged or hit multiple commercial vessels across the Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz, prompted Iran to warn that transit through the strait would be targeted, and triggered interventions and warnings from regional states.

Reporting said other cargo ships were struck, Iran deployed mines in the strait according to some accounts, and Gulf states reported intercepting drones or missiles as tensions disrupted shipping and pushed oil prices sharply higher.

Indiablooms

Governments and shipping stakeholders reacted quickly: India’s embassy in Baghdad confirmed that an Indian national was killed and said it was assisting rescued crew, while companies and Iraqi authorities coordinated evacuations and investigations.

“It has a gross tonnage of 42,010 and a deadweight tonnage of 73,976”

India TV News

Regional militaries and states also reported defensive actions and interceptions amid the wider campaign, and Iraq warned of legal remedies — reflecting immediate humanitarian, commercial and diplomatic fallout from the attacks.

National Herald