Tehran rejects ‘baseless’ US claim about Iran targeting chemical tanker off Indian coast

An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, on Monday (Dec 25) rejected the Pentagon’s claim of Iran attackinga chemical ship off India coastas “baseless”. This comes after the United States military reportedly accused Iran ofdrone attack on the Japanese-owned “Israel-affiliated” chemical tanker MV Chem Pluto, off the coast of India.

‘Baseless’

“These repetitive accusations are rejected as baseless,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said at a briefing, adding that Washington should instead face accusations for its role in Israel’s war on Gaza.

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He added, “Such claims are aimed at projecting, distracting public attention, and covering up for the full support of the American government for the crimes of the Zionist regime (Israel) in Gaza.”

ALSO READ |Pentagon accuses Iran of drone attack on 'Israel-affiliated' chemical tanker off Indian Coast

Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesperson also slammed British Foreign Secretary David Cameron’s “repetitive” and “threadbare” remarks for brandingIran a “malign influence in the region and the world” and urged a “set of deterrent measures against” it.

US military's accusations against Iran

Pentagon, speaking on the incident told WION that the drone was “fired from Iran.” Notably, it is the first time that Washingtondirectly accused Tehran of targeting ships.

The attack, as per US officials, occurred at approximately 10:00 am (local time) in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles off India's Gujarat coast.

It said that the “motor vessel CHEM PLUTO, a Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated chemical tanker” was hit by “a one-way attack drone fired from Iran.”

In a statement to WION, the Pentagon said “No U.S. Navy vessels were in the vicinity. U.S. Naval Forces Central Command remains in communication with the vessel as it continues toward a destination in India.”

It added, “This is the seventh Iranian attack on commercial shipping since 2021.”

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Meanwhile, the United Kingdom-based maritime security firm, Ambrey said that the ship was “Israel-affiliated” and was en route from Saudi Arabia to India.

The Wall Street Journal citing the Dutch company operating the vessel said that it had connections to Israeli shipping tycoon Idan Ofer.

The recent attack off the Indian coast came amid a flurry of attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by the Yemen-based Iran-backed Houthi rebels amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

The militant group had warned that they would target all ships heading to Israel, regardless of their nationality, and warned international shipping companies against dealing in Israeli ports.

Indian Navyto investigate incident

The Indian Navy said that it responded to a request for assistance by dispatching an aircraft and a warship to ensure the safety of the involved ship and its crew. Indian Defence officials reportedly said, “As per inputs received, the fire has been extinguished but it has affected its functioning.”

ALSO WATCH |MV Chem Pluto attacked in Arabian Sea, was enroute Mangalore from Jubail, Saudi Arabia

They added, “The ICGS Vikram was deployed on the patrol of the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone when it was directed towards the merchant ship in distress. All crew are safe which includes around 20 Indians.”

The Indian Navy is “now investigating whether the drone used to attack the vessel was launched from long range or from a nearby vessel. The vessels operating in the area where the attack took place are being checked.”

The latest incident follows a similar suspected drone attack on an Israeli-owned cargo ship in the Indian Ocean last month.

(With inputs from agencies)