A Japanese-owned chemical tanker struck off the coast of India was targeted by a drone “fired from Iran,” the Pentagon said, a sign of expanding risks to commercial shipping beyond the Red Sea.
It was the first time the Pentagon has openly accused Iran of directly targeting ships since the start of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, AFP reports. The attack came amid a flurry of new drone and missile attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels on the vital Red Sea shipping lane since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, with the group claiming to act in solidarity with Gaza.
The Indian Ocean attack took place around 10 am local time (0600 GMT) and caused no casualties aboard the vessel, a Pentagon statement said, adding that a fire was extinguished.
The US military “remains in communication with the vessel as it continues toward a destination in India,” it added.
The drone strike occurred 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) off the coast of India, it said, adding that no US Navy vessels were in the vicinity.
