Al Jazeera cites a US official as saying that a suspected Iranian drone has attacked a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire in the Indian Ocean.

The defence official, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said the Malta-flagged vessel, CMA CGM Symi, was suspected to have been targeted by a triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying Shahed-136 drone while in international waters.

The drone exploded, causing damage to the ship but not injuring any of its crew.

“We continue to monitor the situation closely,” the official said. The official declined to explain why the US military believed Iran was behind the attack.

Al-Mayadeen, a pan-Arab satellite channel, reported that an Israeli ship had been targeted in the Indian Ocean. The channel cited anonymous sources for the report, which Iranian media later reported.