Seafarer Killed in Apparent Missile Attack on Greek-Owned Oil Tanker in Gulf
The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Velos Sapphire was sailing empty toward Bahrain's Sitra port when it came under attack early Thursday, Athens-based Velos Tankers said in a statement.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A crew member aboard a Greek-owned oil tanker was killed in an apparent missile attack in the Gulf, the vessel's owner said Friday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Velos Sapphire was sailing empty toward Bahrain's Sitra port when it came under attack early Thursday, Athens-based Velos Tankers said in a statement.
The company said the crew member, whose nationality was not disclosed, was initially reported missing before being found fatally injured. No other casualties were reported.
According to the company, the explosion was likely caused by an unidentified projectile that struck the vessel's port quarter, triggering a fire that the crew managed to extinguish.
The tanker subsequently continued its voyage to Bahrain's Khalifa Bin Salman Port, the company added.
The incident came as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said earlier Friday that two oil tankers had caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, a day after Tehran reported similar incidents involving five other tankers.
Since the outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28, Iran has sought to restrict maritime traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route that normally carries around one-fifth of global oil consumption.
In response, the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and escorted tankers through the strait.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said last month that it had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz since the summer. It has also recently announced that all mines had been cleared from the waterway.