On December 25, a spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry asserted that the US accusation that Tehran attacked the oil tanker Chem Pluto was "baseless."
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| A drone (UAV) attacked the Liberian-flagged ship Chem Pluto in the Indian Ocean. (Source: Arab News) |
The Wall Street Journal, citing a Pentagon spokesperson, reported that the Chem Pluto, a Liberian-flagged chemical tanker owned by Japan and operated by the Netherlands, was attacked at approximately 10:00 a.m. (local time) on December 23 in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles off the coast of India, by a drone from Iran.
According to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), the MV Chem Pluto, carrying 20 Indian and 1 Vietnamese crew member, was attacked by a drone and caught fire on December 23 while en route to India. However, the fire was extinguished shortly afterward. The ship and its crew are now safe.
Local officials said the Indian Navy has launched an investigation into the UAV launch. The Indian Navy warship INS Mormugao approached the cargo ship MV Chem Pluto and identified some details about the attack. The Indian Coast Guard vessel ICG Vikram is escorting the MV Chem Pluto, and the two ships are expected to arrive in Mumbai on December 25th.
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