An oil tanker off the coast of Iraq discovered an explosive object attached to its hull, the latest incident highlighting the risk to ships in waters near the Arabian Peninsula.
Pola, with the Liberian flag, noticed a “suspicious object” on the ship as she unloaded cargo on another ship, according to a statement from owner Dynacom Tankers Management, which added that all crew members are safe.
The object was later found to be a bomb and an Iraqi naval force was sent with an explosives device to deactivate the device, according to an official who he refused to be appointed. It was not immediately known who could place him in the cistern.
The Persian Gulf and the Red Sea have been a hot spot ship attacks in recent years, with growing tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. At the beginning of month one blast that Saudi officials described as a “terrorist” attack shook a ship in the port of Jeddah in the Red Sea. This incident occurred a few weeks after an oil tanker was damaged in a possible attack on the same body of water.
At the same time, there is a greater focus on security in the region, particularly with Iran, which is subject to U.S. sanctions, as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to succeed Donald Trump in January. Almost exactly a year ago, Trump ordered one the drone attack on Iraq that killed one of Iran’s most powerful generals.
The Pola, a Suezmax-class ship, has been anchored since Nov. 7 and is likely to be used as floating oil storage, according to vessel tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. By the time the object was discovered in its hull, the tanker appeared to be transferring goods to the Nordic Freedom, owned by Nordic American Tankers Ltd.
Pola buys offshore oil and is not affiliated with Iraq’s export terminals, according to the official.
The UK’s maritime trade operations, which serve as a liaison between the Royal Navy and merchant ships operating in high-risk areas, initially identified the incident, without naming the ship or specifying what was attached to the ship. helmet. Maritime safety consultant Dryad Global said the object was suspected to be a carpet mine, which can be attached to a ship.
The fifth U.S. fleet, operating in the region, had no further details beyond what the UKMTO said in its notice, according to a spokeswoman.
– With the assistance of Julian Lee