&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Iran claims responsibility for twin oil tanker blasts near Iraq; 1 dead, 38 rescued")
Iran on Wednesday (Mar 11) claimed responsibility for blowing up two oil tankers near Iraq that killed at least one crew member. 38 people were rescued from the inferno. The attack came just hours after the US embassy in Baghdad warned that Iran and Tehran-backed Iraqi armed groups might target US-owned oil facilities in Iraq. Iran has previously vowed that no oil will leave the Gulf while its war with the United States and Israel continues. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that handles a fifth of the world's oil, remains closed to almost all oil tankers.
Iran claims responsibility for twin oil tanker blasts
According to the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, Iran claimed responsibility for the attack on the two oil tankers, believed to belong to the United States. The underwater drone attack "blew up two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf tonight," it said.
State television channel al-Ikhbariya broadcast images of a ship at sea with plumes of smoke rising from a huge fire. Videos of the inferno are also being widely shared on social media. Watch here:
At least one crew member killed, many remain missing
Farhan Al-Fartousi of Iraq's General Company for Ports told state television that one crew member was killed in the attack. 38 people have been rescued, but many remain missing, with the search continuing for any survivors. The nationality of the deceased crew member is yet to be revealed.
He also revealed that one of the ships was registered under a Maltese flag. The other one, as per reports, may belong to the United States. Speaking to the national news agency INA, the Iraqi government's cell stated that the "two tankers were subject to sabotage."
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
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