All 22 Georgian crew members aboard a Greek-owned tanker with Maltese flag are reported to be in good health after the vessel was struck by what is believed to have been an Iranian unmanned surface vessel while conducting a ship-to-ship (STS) cargo transfer operation within the territorial waters of Iraq.
According to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, no injuries were reported among the crew. However, a fire broke out aboard the tanker after it was hit.
The fire was brought under control and eventually extinguished with the assistance of Iraqi firefighting units and local port authorities, which were immediately mobilized in the area.
Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) confirmed that the vessel was carrying condensed energy products belonging to the Basra Gas Company, as part of the country’s commercial hydrocarbon export operations.
The incident adds to a series of attacks reported in recent days across the wider Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, intensifying concerns over the safety of maritime navigation along one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
Source: Naftemporiki